R8m up for grabs in Wafa Wafa
This year’s MTN8 is likely to be hotly contested as all the eight teams involved will be keen to get their hands on the first trophy on offer this season. Some are desperate, some want the taste of it again, others are looking to break their trophy duck and others will be doing it for show. Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are the desperate duo. Maritzburg United are the only team who have never won a cup. They will be looking to break their duck and win their first piece of silverware. Golden Arrows, SuperSport United, Cape Town City and Free State Stars want to win another trophy, while for Mamelodi Sundowns it will be for show as Wafa-Wafa remains the only cup coach Pitso Mosimane has not won. All this makes for an interesting run in the competition, writes Sibongiseni Gumbi who also looks at all the eight contenders and their chances to be the last team standing and walk away with a cool R8 million.
Mamelodi Sundowns
While Pitso Mosimane’s attention is overwhelmingly on winning the Absa Premiership and Caf Champions League, it is possible that not having managed to win the MTN8 at Sundowns remains a problem for him. Downs have the resources to win it and as it takes just four games to do it, Mosimane will go for it to fill that gap in his CV.
Free State Stars
“Just two years in the country and I have one cup already.” These words were said by Stars coach Luc Eymael who is someone who shoots from the hip. He has turned a team who were just an ordinary side into one that can compete for trophies. It is Eymael’s second season in charge and a lot is expected from him. Annexing Wafa Wafa would be a big feat.
Orlando Pirates
Pirates have gone almost four years without a trophy and having had a promising run last season, an early trophy would go a long way to calming nerves and giving the team a good dose of confidence. The Ghost have waited for so long and might become a little unsettled if their side fail to clinch this trophy to give them something to boast about heading into a heavy season.
SuperSport United
SuperSport had a poor campaign last term and will be looking to re-establish themselves as a formidable team again. Winning the MTN8 would go a long way in earning new coach Kaitano Tembo the respect and trust of the players. They have some experienced campaigners who have won trophies in their careers and should be formidable contenders.
Kaizer Chiefs
It is a similar story at the Glamour Boys who have gone three years without winning anything – something some would consider taboo at the glamour club, the country’s self-proclaimed cup kings. Winning the MTN8 would be the perfect recipe for new coach Giovanni Solinas who is yet to convince some fans that Kaizer Motaung was right to hire him.
Golden Arrows
Clinton Larsen’s side last won this trophy in 2009 in memorable fashion as they scored six goals to beat Ajax Cape Town 6-1. But since then Abafana Bes’thende have not been real contenders for anything despite showing some signs of being a capable team. The MTN8 carries a lot of money which would come in handy for the Durban side. They start away to Sundowns.
Maritzburg United
Fadlu Davids’ side came so close to breaking their duck last season as they made the final of the Nedbank Cup and admitted to having got ahead of themselves with excitement before the final. They have shown they are capable of going pound for pound with the best and will want to go one better with Wafa Wafa and win it to fulfil their potential.
Cape Town City
It is Benni McCarthy’s second season in charge of City who have shown a great deal of potential over the past few years and already have the Telkom Knockout in the bag having won it two years ago. But McCarthy would also want to make his own history by becoming the youngest coach to win a cup in this country. He has a difficult start against Maritzburg away.