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WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE GREAT FREE-KICK TAKERS IN FOOTBALL?

You can count on one hand the number of direct freekicks that expertly flew into the back of the net in the last year of topflight football in South Africa.

It would seem the art of bending the ball over the wall and having it fly past the goalkeeper is being lost. Coincidence or a trend?

WHERE ARE THE SPECIALISTS?

Anyone who has seen the Netflix documentary about David Beckham will almost nostalgically think back to the time when goalkeepers would float fruitlessly as one of his freekicks slammed into the back of the net. Data agency Opta has calculated that there has been a clear downward trend in the five major European club competitions over the past 15 years. In South Africa too, it has been some while since a stylish free-kick sailed over the goal. Relebogile Mokhuoane belted one in for Cape Town City against neighbours Cape Town Spurs on New Year's Eve in the derby and Jamie Webber at Sekhukhune United and Orlando Pirates' Kabelo Dlamini can claim one each too. Arguably the best South African contribution came in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in January when Teboho Mokoena caught the Morocco goalkeeper all ends up to ensure a famous win in the round of 16. "Goals from free-kicks, that stands or falls with specialists," explains EF Cameroon coach Marc Brys. "I see players putting less and less effort into it. Yet you have to practice it every day. How you lay the ball, how you hit it, a ball that is not the same every season. I see players paying less attention to that," says the Belgian.

THE GRASS CUTTER