Time to take African contests seriously

Iwould like to first congratulate Bidvest Wits for winning their maiden Premier Soccer League title. They’ve worked hard throughout the season and proved that they deserved it. Coach Gavin Hunt has proved he is one of the best coaches that the country has produced so far.

I would also like to congratulate the management and the backroom staff under the leadership of George Mogotsi, who has been there for many years. He has been focusing on the job at hand and today he has been rewarded after a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

The management has invested so much money for a very long time, even though they were not achieving what they would’ve loved to achieve over the years. Regardless, they continued to invest in the club to make sure that they had a competitive team that was consistent for a number of years.

The players as well. For them to remain willing to play for a team of that calibre which they know is financially stable, but not delivering. It is always difficult to work under extreme pressure in order for you to deliver, but they managed to overcome that challenge, and for that they need to be applauded.

It is now high time for Wits, backed by an international brand off the field, to demonstrate that leadership throughout the whole world on the field of play. Each and everywhere you go, especially in Europe, you will find Bidvest. The club now needs to follow and be the leader in African football. It will be a challenge, but a healthy one.

Hunt should take this challenge now that he has conquered South Africa with the likes of Pitso Mosimane. It is now time for him to go out in Africa and prove he is one of the best coaches on the continent. It will not be easy, but this is a challenge that he has to face head-on, to go out there and pursue it.

I might be wrong and I stand to be corrected, but from what I’ve seen in the media regarding how Wits have been performing in Africa, it gave me an impression that Hunt hasn’t been taking the Caf Champions League and the Confederation Cup too seriously. This time around, as the champions and flag-bearers of South African football, he has to make sure that they are more serious in their approach.

We will see that through the energy that they will put in, and I am of the belief that he can do quite well if he gives it a genuine try. In order for us to stop speculating on whether he will prioritise the Champions League or not, he needs to make his intentions about African football clear from the outset.

Shifting the focus to the Nedbank Cup; well done to SuperSport United and Orlando Pirates for making it to the final. This time around will prove be much harder for both teams following their disappointing showings in the league.

They both want to make sure they end the season with something that will see them restoring their pride.

I would love to see Pirates wining it so that they can go back to African football. Once they go back, they will begin to bring in quality players who will be able to go out there and restore the dignity of the club which has been dented. It would be nice to see them going back again because they have been consistent and they take continental football seriously, not to say SuperSport aren’t.