WHAT’S ON BIG THREE
ON THE FACE of it, South Africa’s three representatives in continental competitions should have little to no problem progressing to the next stage of their respective competitions.
The opposition that both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates face in the Caf Champions League as well as Kaizer Chiefs’ adversaries in the Confederation Cup, are not the kind that should see them tumbling out.
Granted, stranger things have happened in the beautiful game. But the trio will have no one but themselves to blame should they not progress to the next round. And it is not because one undermines the opposition, but simply based on continental football pedigree – the SA teams should still be around when the draw is made for the next stage of the two competitions.
For starters, while the South Africans are previous winners of the competitions they are involved in – their adversaries are essentially new to the first round proper. Except for Sundowns’ opposition Al-Ahly Benghazi of Libya, the other two sides are in new territory.
Both Soweto giants Pirates and Chiefs are hosting in this weekend’s first leg – an advantage on its own – and should make good use of home comforts to essentially render the second leg away trips a mere formality by winning comfortably.
The Buccaneers welcome Namibian outfit African Stars to Orlando Stadium tomorrow evening. Stars are in their debut season in the Champions League. They have, however, previously played in the Confederation Cup (in 2014) as well as in the second-tier competition’s predecessor – the Caf Cup back in 1992. They were knocked out at the first hurdle on both occasions. As Namibian champions this year – Stars went up against Volcan of the Comoros in the preliminary round and prevailed 2-1 on aggregate, the result achieved via a home victory with the away leg ending goalless. Not the kind of results to send Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic and his men shaking in their boots then. After all, the Buccaneers had it fairly easy getting over the initial hurdle – they beat the Seychelles’ Lightstars 8-2 on aggregate – and this next one also appears likely to provide no problems for a team looking to go all the way.
Chiefs are at the Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow night against Madagascar’s AASSM Elgeco Plus and will be confident after they won their first match (1-0 over SuperSport United in the PSL) under Ernst Middendorp on Wednesday.
Elgeco have never made it this far before and actually sneaked in courtesy of a slim aggregate win after victory at home, but defeat away to Deportivo Unidada of Equatorial Guinea. If Chiefs play with the energy they did against SuperSport, they should have no problem rendering this tie a no-contest by the end of tomorrow night’s first leg.
Sundowns are actually the ones who will probably have to dig a little deeper to progress. For one, Pitso Mosimane,
pictured, will be without a few key players in Ricardo Nascimento, Themba Zwane and Rivaldo Coetzee – the latter two having been crucial in their progress to this stage. And then there’s the fact that Al-Ahly Benghazi are no pushovers, having shown back in 2014 when they eliminated their Egyptian namesakes Al Ahly to make their only appearance in the group phase of the Champions League.
The match will be played in neutral Cairo given the unrest out in Libya.
Sundowns though are seasoned campaigners who have had some great successes in north Africa and should prove too strong for the Libyan side that limped into this phase via a narrow 3-2 aggregate victory over Mauritania’s Nouadhibou.
If the South African top league is as great as we often make it out to be, then these three club have the responsibility to prove it by not only overcoming what appears easy opposition but by going all the way. |