There were beautiful scenes at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as tens of thousands of South African supporters filled the Tshwane-based stadium to capacity to witness Mamelodi Sundowns making history by beating Zamalek 3–0 in the first leg of the CAF Champions League final.
For the first time, we witnessed a South African side keep a clean sheet and win the first leg of this competition. It was also the first time that I saw so many supporters of different clubs getting behind Sundowns in this important continental showpiece. Sundowns' coach, Pitso Mosimane, even reflected on this fact in his post-match interview. I did have to wonder what stops us from having these beautiful scenes and this unbelievable atmosphere in our PSL stadiums every weekend… anyway, that's a story for another day.
In an ideal world, this cup final would have been the only game played on Saturday, if not the whole weekend, considering the magnitude of this history-making clash. This game is bigger than any other continental cup final. In fact it is the biggest game on the continent and therefore should take priority and not be diluted with other fixtures. To me, that's, at worst, pure disrespect, or, at best, poor planning, on our part. Surely, if the UEFA Champions League can be afforded such prominence, then why not afford prominence to our version of the competition? If there was a Nedbank Cup, Telkom Knockout or MTN8 final, surely that would have taken priority. Why can't we do the same for the CAF Champions League final when one of our own teams is involved? While not every South African supports Sundowns or was going to be at the stadium, surely some of the supporters were robbed of the opportunity to watch this game as it happened, because they were forced to choose between their club allegiance and being South African, which is an unfair position to put anyone in. In an ideal world, no one would have been put in that unfortunate position. But, as coach Mosimane and his team have been saying, Sundowns managed to triumph against the odds.
While the players did the job on the field, it is only fair that we give Sundowns' technical team the props they deserve. For a while now, apart from the sucker punch they received from Bidvest Wits' Gavin Hunt and his charges in the MTN8 final, these guys have been on top of their game. Their ability to think on their feet under so much pressure points to one thing: meticulous preparation and planning. Whatever you put in, you are almost guaranteed to get out. The three substitutions made by Mosimane and his technical team proved, once again, their level of preparation and planning is streaks ahead. Shortly after Wayne Arendse was shown a yellow card, Mosimane got Bangaly Soumahoro ready, not for precautionary measures in case Arendse received another yellow, but to give the Ivorian utility player much-needed game-time and an opportunity to familiarise himself with the pressure and intensity that comes with a game of this magnitude. That yellow card, unfortunately, ruled Arendse out of the second leg, as he will be suspended, with Soumahoro the only registered option available for selection.
While I hear that Sundowns have lodged an appeal to have Arendse's booking rescinded, the fact that they had the foresight and were able to think ahead to the next game while focussed on the current one, is truly commendable. Bearing in mind that Soumahoro hasn't played much and with no game in between the two finals, the technical team's foresight and preparations left nothing to chance. Having played more than 20 minutes in the last game will go a long way in psyching up the towering defender, as well as developing understanding with his new partner in crime, Thabo Nthethe.
It is little details like these that make a huge difference in the game of football and that's why it's imperative to applaud those doing their homework. With such a healthy lead going into the second leg, Mosimane and his technical team's challenge is to work on their players' mindsets and ensure that they leave no room for complacency, as the job is not yet done yet. Anyone who thinks it is impossible for Zamalek to spoil the party must look no further than the team's recent home results in this competition. The Egyptian giants know just how to make visitors feel uncomfortable and an early goal for the Chloorkop-based side will definitely boost their chances of maintaining this lead.
As South Africa unites behind Sundowns, we all hope to wake up on Monday morning with another PSL team boasting a star above their badge.
Before signing off, on behalf of the Soccer Laduma team, I would like to wish South African's technical director, Neil Tovey, a speedy recovery from his recent heart attack. This legend of the game has a lot of ground to cover and South African football still needs his football acumen and input.
Cheers
VeeJay
