South Africa has never had a better chance of going all the way in the CAF Champions League, with the Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns having launched a two-pronged onslaught on the title this season.
Add MTN8 finalists Stellenbosch FC, who are in the Confederations Cup, with their exuberance of youth, and then you have a potent mix of capacity.
The group stages got underway this week, and the Mzansi teams are really looking the part, and one can see that the hunt for the CAF star is on top of their minds.
By far, the Buccaneers and Sundowns are currently the best teams in the Betway Premiership.
Before yesterday’s round of league matches, the Pirates were leading the charts with a 100% record, with Sundowns breathing heavily down their necks in second position.
Bucs outfoxed Algerian crackside CR Belouizdad 2-1 in front of their own, passionate supporters in the capital, Algiers, on Tuesday night.
It was not just a mere away victory; it was a case of boys coming of age and sending an early warning to the other clubs, Al Ahly of Egypt and State d’Abidjan of the Ivory Coast.
Patrick Maswanganyi, youngsters Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota were on top of their game, with the latter grabbing a brace in style.
But there is still a long way to go, and the journey might have landmines aplenty. As they say, “Africa Ain’t for Sissies,” and the CAF Champions League will separate the men from the boys.
The Brazilians might have stuttered in their opening group match with a goalless draw against the man-mountains of Maniema Union, of the DR Congo, but it should not be a major headache for Sundowns, who know the terrain so well.
They reached the semi-finals last season, and they should hold the Bucs’ hand and show them around.
The only worrying aspect for coach Manqoba Mngqithi and his troops is that fatigue seems to be creeping into the team, and it is noticeable from a distance.
His players, who must negotiate a massive fixture schedule that includes national team assignments, domestic cup competitions and a taxing CAF club calendar, are getting exhausted and they are not exactly firing on all cylinders right now.
“I am confident and very sure because there are many games that we are going to win away in this group,” said Mngqithi after the Maniema game.
“We may look at this start and say it was not a convincing start. There are still a lot of matches to be played, and it is only the beginning of the group stage.
The only unfortunate thing is that we could not get a goal; we pushed them hard.
You may say that it’s not an ideal start. When you consider that we had to change most of our players because the players are tired, they played two matches at Bafana Bafana — Tebogo was struggling towards the end of the game.”
Stellies may have fallen 2-0 at the hands of Stade Malien in Bamako, Mali, but they have the ability to stage a comeback. It’s their first campaign on the rugged African landscape, and they still have a lot to learn.
Coach Steve Barker is a shrewd tactician who will get his players to understand the significance of the job at hand.
They have a lot of exciting youngsters who are keen to make a name for themselves, and they should bounce back against RSB Berkane of Morocco and Angola’s Desportivo da Lunda Sul.
