South Africa will boast four clubs in two African inter-club competitions, the prestigious CAF Champions League and the lesser distinguished CAF Confederation Cup in the forthcoming 2022/23 campaign.
While a number of PSL clubs like Kaizer Chiefs, MaritzburgUnited, Sekhukhune and Orlando Pirates are ringing the changes in their playing personnel and technical departments, African football candidates should be contemplating revamping their squads in preparation for the extra burden of crisscrossing the continent, honouring the two-legged home and away fixtures.
Three times in a row PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns will once again be campaigning in the Champions League with league runners-up Cape Town City, while third-placed finishers Royal AM and losing Nedbank Cup finalists Marumo Gallants are in the Confederation Cup.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Downs made history as the first team in the CAF Champions League to finish the group stage with 16 points but the 2016 African champions were eliminated in the next round, the quarterfinals, by Angola’s Petro de Luanda, something that has irked coach Manqoba Mngqithi. The most successful SA team in Africa in the PSL era has competed a record 14 times in the competition since 1999. In 2017, the Brazilians were crowned kings of Africa after winning the CAF Super Cup.
Cape Town City
Coach Eric Tinkler’s Citizens are making their maiden appearance in the Champions League, but have tasted continental football before when they played in the Confederation Cup in 2018. They were, however, booted out in the first round by Mozambique’s Costa do Sol.
Royal AM
In their first season in top-flight football after purchasing the status of Bloemfontein Celtic, third-placed Thwihli Thwahla, under the guidance of mentor John Maduka, will play in the Confederation Cup and have also qualified for the MTN8, but their chairperson, Shauwn Mkhize, was yearning for the more lucrative Champions League.
Marumo Gallants
Under passionate coach Dan Malesela, Gallants qualified for their second Confederation Cup in a row by virtue of reaching the Nedbank Cup final because Sundowns had already qualified for the Champions League.
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