That’s what the PSL needs

Talk about entertaining football that we were served in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup this past weekend! Chippa United hosted Orlando Pirates at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, with Pirates walking away 3-1 winners of the entertaining clash. On Sunday, it was Stellenbosch FC’s chance to host Mamelodi Sundowns in their muchanticipated clash and it didn’t disappoint at all. Sundowns beat Stellies 2-1 and we all can’t wait for June 1, when Sundowns and Pirates lock horns at the Mbombela Stadium.

Guys, I’m sure you will all agree with me that, with the business end of the season approaching, I feel I need to do things differently this week and possibly the next two. Some teams are happy with what they have achieved this season, while others can’t wait for the season to be over so that they can try again next season. The fascinating thing is that, I am looking at the log standings with Mamelodi Sundowns sitting pretty at the summit. At the time of writing, they’ve played 24 matches, won 19 and drawn five without a single loss! They don’t know how it feels to lose a league match so far this season and that’s remarkable! With 62 points in the bag, they’ve mathematically defended their league title because no one can catch them. Does this confirm that, currently, there is no South African team that can challenge Sundowns? These guys keep breaking their own records and it has been a one-way traffic for seven seasons now and no one can argue about that. I mean, I can’t even find fault when I look at Sundowns. This goes to show the incredible work they do, behind the scenes, in terms of planning and putting themselves in a better position than anyone else in the league. I mentioned a few years ago that Sundowns don’t just prepare for the domestic league. As we speak, they have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup, which ticks one of the boxes, as much as they bowed out of the CAF Champions League in the semi-finals, after losing 2-0 on aggregate to Esperance. They may be out of the tournament but the experience they gained from that competition is priceless. Their players and everyone at the club will benefit and grow a lot from that experience. That means, they are still going to continue causing havoc in our domestic league for as long as other teams don’t try to close the gap. Their dominance comes as no surprise, for a team that competes in as many competitions as they have been doing, consistently so over the years.

Having said that, this is an alarming situation because winning the league title seven times in a row has never happened in the history of South African football! To me, what Sundowns are doing is what every team should be working towards. They are doing things the right way and represent our country with pride. Anyone who has a problem with them dominating our football, rather than having issues with the rest of the league, clearly still has a long way to go in terms of analysing the game. At the moment, the least we can do is to give them credit for the wonderful job they are doing. They are, undoubtedly, the best in the country because they aim way beyond our league and what we see now is the fruits of their hard labour. You ask yourself a question: Will our national team ever get to enjoy such dominance? My answer is a simple “No”. I say so because, as long as Sundowns are the only one dominating our league, chances of our national team dominating are getting slimmer by the day. They are going to continue providing more players to the national team but their experience will not be matched by their teammates from other teams. That means, we need more of our teams to raise their hands and go full-on like Sundowns are doing in the continent, for us to stand a chance to improve our Bafana Bafana. We have Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC pushing Sundowns and that is good to see. Long may it continue.

On Stellenbosch FC

Here is a team that doesn’t possess big-name players, but they’ve managed to go 25 games without a single loss! Their Nedbank Cup semi-final 2-1 loss at home against Sundowns was their first loss in a long time, in all competitions. Surely, coach Steve Barker and his technical team are doing something right in Stellenbosch. For a team with a lot of youth development products in their squad, they are doing extremely well and deserve a lot of credit. This team is growing in leaps and bounds! They are not just growing by getting the results but also by growing local talent. While others spend a lot of money to buy players, Stellies are developing their own talent and they have a number of such players in the starting line-up, not just making the squad. Because of that, they don’t mind selling their star performers because they know they have a successful feeder in their development structures. Selling your best players is supposed to cripple your team because you can’t be selling and expect to be challenging for honours at the same time. However, with them, it is a completely different story because they seem to have a good balance between the two. That speaks to proper planning and having a vision. If you look at the impact Junior Mendieta, Ashley Du Preez and Sibongiseni Mthethwa had in that team and how they carried on after they left, it is unbelievable. Some teams would need a couple of seasons to recover from losing those players but not Stellies! Teams are now raiding Stellies for their young and impressive talents and it comes as no surprise at all. These guys are going about their business quietly. Whether we like it or not, Stellies is making strides and has become one of the teams to watch. Coach Barker and his technical team are doing a tremendous job with that team. They’re simply unbelievable! They already have the Carling Knockout in their cabinet, reached the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup and, at the time of writing, are sitting second on the log in strong contention for continental football next season. What more can you really ask of them? After winning promotion, they were fighting to maintain their status in the elite league but, in no time, we suddenly found them among the top teams in the league. Once your players are in demand from other teams, then that’s a good sign for your team. People buy what they don’t have, and they admire what is working out perfectly out there. You can mention up to six players that are in demand from Stellies and that speaks volumes about this team because those are quality players. Jayden Adams was part of our Bafana Bafana team in Ivory Coast and he’s already got an Afcon bronze medal, which is credit to Stellies and his teammates who are supporting him. I want to applaud and give credit to everyone at Stellies, for a wonderful job. Credit also to the owners and management of the club for giving the coach enough time and support through thick and thin.

On Orlando Pirates

At some stage, Orlando Pirates were blowing hot and cold, but they are now one of the best teams in the league. With the form they are enjoying now, they can definitely give Sundowns a run for their money. You look at that team and you can clearly see the improvement coach Jose Riveiro and his technical team have made. They are scoring goals as if they are going out of fashion. A lot of teams are struggling to find the back of the net but not Pirates. What fascinates me the most is the fact that their goals come from different players, which augurs well for any team. Patrick Maswanganyi has proved to be such an important member of that team in his first season. The same goes for Thalente Mbatha and we also see Relebohile Mofokeng playing such a crucial role in the team, young as he is. Tshegofatso Mabasa and many other players are raising their hand and giving the coach a nice headache. They are taking their team to the next level and it is unbelievable to watch. I predict great things for this team next season, they will definitely be a team to watch! That is only if they sustain their current performance because you can see that their players are enjoying the game. You can see the leadership through their game and you can see a lot of things that they are doing right now, which they were not doing a couple of years ago. Credit to coach Riveiro, his technical team and everyone at the club for a wonderful job so far. The social factor, the understanding, the belief, courage, unity and team spirit are there for everyone to see. We really have to applaud these guys for the job they are doing and, like I said, they are the team to watch next season.

Guys, Sekhukhune United have been a surprise package this season! Babina Noko have been consistent and unbelievable! They’ve been collecting points and playing good football. I have been impressed with their performances and it was good to see Elias Mokwana stamping his authority in the national team when coach Hugo Broos gave him a chance. These are the kinds of players we need to take our football to the next level. The boy was fearless, and you would think he had been in the national team for years when he was actually playing his first game. Playing for Bafana, away from home, comes with a lot of pressure but Elias proved to be one of the stand-out performers in those games. Interestingly, almost everyone looks forward to Sekhukhune’s games because they want to see Mokwana. In fact, let me speak for myself, because I always want to see if he is going to continue with his good form. So far, he has not disappointed at all. That’s what the PSL needs.

On upcoming awards

There are players who are battling it out for the Footballer of the Year, but it would be nice to hear from our readers, for them to tell me who do they think deserves which of the upcoming annual awards. Who will scoop most awards? Who deserves which award? I think the Goalkeeper of the Season is an obvious one but let me know what you guys think. I’d really like to hear who you have as an award nominee for all the awards. From Young Player of the Season to Footballer of the Season. There have been a number of players who have impressed so far this season but, knowing that football is a game of opinions, I would like to know your favourites. It is always nice to interact with our readers, so if you can not only give me the names but the reasons why you feel those players deserve those awards. Remember, you can email me at: editor@ soccerladuma.co.za