Gallant Ubuntu flying the NFD flag with pride

Iwant to applaud National First Division side Ubuntu Cape Town for the attitude that they have shown in the Nedbank Cup after knocking out yet another team playing in the Absa Premiership. They began with Polokwane City and have now eliminated AmaZulu.

It was no fluke at all because when you look at their tactical organisation on the pitch, it is really impressive and when we take a closer look at the individual qualities in the team, one can only draw the conclusion that there is no longer a big gap between top- flight teams and NFD teams.

Their display and attitude made me believe this team can go a long way in this tournament. But then again, it gets tougher at this stage. However, they have done a good job in making their mark in South African football.

For Ubuntu reaching the quarterfinals, it can only boost their confidence and at this very moment, they are still trying to avoid relegation, so this will go a long way in helping in that regard – but only if they stick to this attitude.

The beauty about winning the Nedbank Cup is that is presents you with an opportunity to represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup, where we have seen the likes of Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United doing well in recent years.

Let me be optimistic and say Ubuntu will win the Nedbank Cup, just for argument’s sake. Playing in the Confederation Cup next year will increase the team’s profile and it will play a huge role in profiling the players in terms of marketing themselves because it is not a secret that players don’t only play for the badge, but they want to expose their talent as well and attract bigger teams.

There could perhaps be the idea of having a bigger team with a stronger financial muscle winning the Nedbank Cup in order to represent us well in Confederation Cup.

But I say whoever deserves it should get the chance, regardless of their financial muscle.

It is about time our teams try as hard as they can to acquire funding so that when opportunities to play in major tournaments come up, they will have the financial backing to do so. I know some may ask where are the funds going to come from. Looking at the country, it is just a matter of being creative and creating something out of nothing.

We have seen teams in most disadvantaged countries honouring the Caf competition. So with South Africa, with a massive economy as compared to the other countries, we need to work very hard and find the funds to compete on the continent.

Shifting the focus to SuperSport United, I feel caretaker coach Kaitano Tembo has assessed his team well, especially the senior players, in such a way that he has figured out how to use them effectively.

In the second leg of the Confederation Cup group stage qualifier against Angolan side Petro Atletico on Friday, I don’t think we should expect him to field his senior players, instead he will continue with the youthful team he fielded in the first leg.

It is not because they are not taking the competition seriously, it is the case of them wanting to survive in the Absa Premiership. I feel they have avoided automatic relegation, but they could still be dragged into the play-off spots.

As it stands, I am convinced Platinum Stars’ chances of surviving are very slim, which can only speak of SuperSport’s safety.