Support Nedbank Cup final
THE Mother City is the stage for an occasion that celebrates, with all its abundant unpredictability, the romance of football. That deep, almost religious devotion fans have for the beautiful game is not only tied up in moments of magic and beauty, the capricious nature of it all is just as compelling – as demonstrated by the fact that Cape Town Stadium plays host to two unfashionable, unheralded teams when Maritzburg United and Free State Stars do battle in the Nedbank Cup final tomorrow.
The semi-finals of this competition all pointed to a mammoth, mouth-watering finale between PSL giants Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, but football doesn’t operate that way. The two ostensible minnows – Maritzburg and Stars – emerged victorious and will take pride of place tomorrow.
Tradition, name, financial status and size of fan base mean zilch because football doesn’t play favourites. It rewards industry; what you put in is what you get out. The two finalists have manifested this attitude in spades. They fully deserve their 90 minutes of fame.
But, in South African football there is always a “but”. In a week in which the final should have hogged the spotlight, officials have again reinforced the perception that there are different rules for different clubs. In 2013, a proposed friendly between Ajax Cape Town and Liverpool was vetoed because it was scheduled in the week before the cup final. But, on Wednesday, Sundowns played Barcelona in the week before Saturday’s final.
Amid all of this poor Maritzburg and Stars have had the gloss taken off the build-up to their participation in the final. Not just that, while the two clubs struggle to get some sort of recognition for their achievement, the other PSL controversy – the relegation/promotion court battle – also dominates the headlines.
We feel for Maritzburg and Stars, and recognise the shoddy manner in which they have been treated by football’s hierarchy. So we urge Capetonians to come out in their numbers to support this romantic final, and prove that football is about more than the elite clubs.