How old are you really, Nomvethe?

DOBSONVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 15, Siyabonga Nomvethe of Swallows shoots at goal during the Absa Premiership match between Moroka Swallows and Santos from Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium on February 15, 2012 in Dobsonville, South Africa Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

DOBSONVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 15, Siyabonga Nomvethe of Swallows shoots at goal during the Absa Premiership match between Moroka Swallows and Santos from Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium on February 15, 2012 in Dobsonville, South Africa Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

Published May 11, 2012

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In a time when youth tournaments are trying to fight off age cheats, one PSL player has seemingly also lied about his age.

These days, some of the participants at youth tournaments are going bald, while others are giving 40-year-old men advice on how to cultivate a proper beard.

Some of these “kids” even look like they owned a navy-blue identity document once upon a time.

It’s a disgrace, and some of the more popular tournaments are fast becoming a farce and it’s keeping a lot of people away from the game.

And that’s why I want to know what Siyabonga Nomvethe’s real age is? Or did he find the fountain of youth, because it looks like reverse age-cheating! How can a guy play the best football of his life at the tender age of 34!

With 18 goals this season, Bhele is running away with the Premiership’s top goal-scorer award. He has scored seven goals more than his closest rivals, Eleazar Rodgers and Edward Manqele, whose combined age is only 17 years more than Nomvethe’s age!

Nomvethe has often in the past been criticised by South Africans for not transferring his league form of 42 goals in 79 games for Kaizer Chiefs onto the international stage.

And in some circles in Cape Town he became known as Siyabonga “ Niks werd nie”. People are apparently still debating with which part of his anatomy he scored the winning goal against Slovenia in the 2002 World Cup.

He also bombed during stints in Italy and Sweden, although he tasted success in Denmark, where he won the league with Aalborg.

However, over the last two seasons he has really found his best form, and it seems he stole the legs of a teenager, because he is running with the determination of one. However, the only reason we know he is 34 years old is his composure in front of goal. That sort of coolness you only get from a seasoned campaigner.

Nomvethe let slip the other day that he is back in the Bafana Bafana fold for the World Cup qualifiers and that is fantastic news as far as the national team is concerned. A player running like a 20-year-old and finishing like a 34-year-old could just be the recipe Pitso Mosimane needs to inject some life into his team.

Goodness knows if Nomvethe will make it to World Cup in Brazil in 2014 if Bafana do manage to quality.

However, if he does go and his current form continues, then we know he is cheating. So how old are you really, Bhele?

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

@Alex_OxChambo(Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal winger on their new signing, Lucas Podolski): Really good to see we have signed Podolski, great player and I’m sure he will add a lot to the team! #QualitySigning #AFC

@tomclevz23(Tom Cleverly, the Manchester United midfielder pays homage to their fans following their last home game of the season): United fans were class on the walkaround after the game yesterday.

@OfficialVieira(Patrick Vieira, Manchester City development executive after their win against Newcastle United): The fans should be proud today. The team deserve to be at the top – just one more game to go. – Cape Times

WHO TO FOLLOW

@VincentKompany: Follow the Manchester City captain as they go in search of league glory this weekend.

* Follow John Goliath on Twitter: @Anchorman82

* Send us your views – [email protected]

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