Reaching CAF final ‘a matter of timing’

Yeye refuses to compare clubs

SuperSport United midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane has downplayed the suggestion that reaching the CAF Confederation Cup final after only 15 months at the club reflects badly on his former side Kaizer Chiefs.

Yeye, as the veteran is affectionately referred to, joined Matsatsantsa a Pitori in July last year after spending eight years at Naturena.

He was instrumental in helping the team secure their maiden CAF final berth where they will face DR Congo giants TP Mazembe over two legs.

During his time at Amakhosi, Yeye found domestic success, winning the Absa Premiership, MTN8 and Telkom Knockout (all twice) and one Nedbank Cup winner’s medal.

Letsholonyane had abysmal campaigns with the Glamour Boys in the CAF tournaments, however.

Amakhosi were eliminated in the first round of the Champions League for three consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2016. In the Confederation Cup, they went no further than the first round.

Since making their return to continental competition following their ban in 2005 for withdrawing from the Confederation Cup, Chiefs were often accused of not taking African football serious enough.

“It’s difficult to compare the teams I have played for in the past because circumstances were different,” Letsholonyane told Sowetan.

“I can’t say that at that team we did not take CAF competition seriously and at this team we did.

The timing was not right.

These things happen in their own time and for me this was the right time with SuperSport.”

The former Bafana Bafana international will miss the first leg of the final against Mazembe in Lubumbashi on Sunday (3.30pm) due to suspension.

After his departure from Chiefs, the 35-year-old has revived his career at SuperSport, winning the MTN8 title and last year’s Nedbank Cup.

“I said it at the beginning that I came here to try to win trophies because I felt I needed a new challenge