Top 12 placing earns SA continental ‘doubles’

AS the Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs get ready to start the new season, the outlook for South Africa to retain the right to enter two teams in both the African Champions League and the African Confederation Cup for the foreseeable future is looking bright.

The Confederation of African Football yesterday confirmed that South Africa will again be allowed two clubs in the different continental club competitions in 2016.

That means champions Kaizer Chiefs and runners-up Mamelodi Sundowns are in the 2016 Champions League field again while third placed Bidvest Wits and cup runners-up Ajax Cape Town will compete in the African Confederation Cup. Orlando Pirates could also make the field for next year’s Confederation Cup but only if they win the current edition.

Caf’s five-year rankings table, which is a coefficient of results from the last five years in the two competitions, determines which countries are allowed two places per competition and who is not.

Currently, Caf allows the top 12 countries in the standings to have two entries per competition.

South Africa just squeezed into the list for 2016 in 12th place. They are behind top-placed Tunisia, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Sudan, the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Cameroon, Congo, Mali and Nigeria.

And the outlook for 2017 is also good for South Africa, riding on the back of points that Pirates are currently picking up with their strong performance in the Confederation Cup.

If Pirates continue onto the semifinals, South Africa will move above Nigeria and into 11th place in the Caf five-year rankings, which vastly improves chances for double entries for many years to come.