Editor's Column By David Minchella

With the pre-season a time when the biggest clubs in the world tour around the planet to play in exhibition type tournaments, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns generally always stay at home to undergo their preparations around Southern Africa.   Chiefs took part of their pre-season preparations to Swaziland where they were gifted with a cow by Swazi royalty for their efforts in the Swazi King's Cup. Bucs also took part, but both Soweto giants crashed out on penalties in the semi-finals. Mamelodi Sundowns toured Zambia before returning home to win the eTV Charity Showdown final. Next the Brazilians head out to Namibia to test their superstar squad against sides from that region.   Yet, with football now a global game in which major clubs take their brands to emerging football markets, it appears Chiefs, Bucs and Downs are content to prepare for the new season in football backwaters. Are they missing out on valuable marketing exposure as well as an unforgettable football experience?   Perhaps Pirates can be removed from this grouping because of their commitments in the CAF Confederation Cup, however, the argument to excuse Chiefs and Downs is less convincing. What passionate fan wouldn't love to see, say, Chiefs taking part in the 2015 International Champions Cup, a tournament featuring the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea and lesser known US sides like the New York Red Bulls? With a viewing audience likely to number in the hundreds of millions, it would have been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Amakhosi brand. Imagine Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Willard Katsande contesting a midfield battle against Barca's Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets in front of 90 000 people in the Rose Bowl in California. How about Teko Modise and Khama Billiat matching wits with, say, a Bastian Schweinsteiger and an Angel Di Maria of Man United?    An argument could be made that resources and costs of such international trips would be excessive, although surely this wouldn't deter a side like Sundowns! Backed by the billion-dollar empire of Patrice Motsepe, arranging a world tour should arguably be the way to go. It was a challenge former Chiefs coach, Stuart Baxter, tried to take on when he made initial arrangements to tour Italy in 2013. It was something that fell through after costs and logistical concerns seemingly escalated. Even playing against international sides that aren't recognised as being giants of the game would serve a purpose, however, as it would expose our big clubs to a higher and more intense quality of football, which could only be of benefit to our players. With Chiefs committed to playing in the African Champions League this coming season, learning to play well away from home against world-class talent could've made all the difference!   Who can forget in 2010 when Carlos Alberto Parreira took Bafana Bafana away to Brazil to prepare for the World Cup against some top Brazilian sides? A record of one defeat in nine matches against Serie A giants such as Botafogo, Cruzeiro and Fluminense saw the national team return to the country buzzing with confidence with a renewed belief in employing a Brazilian style of play. 40 000 South American  fans turned out to see Bafana take on a strong Cruzeiro outfit – a contest which ended in a credible 0-0 draw that year.   Yet, since the Vodacom Challenge ended in 2011, exposure to playing against top international sides has all but died out. The yearly visits of sides like Manchester United, Man City and Tottenham Hotspur were a hotly anticipated occurrence. It's hard not to remember Gareth Bale tearing Happy Jele to shreds with his pace on the left wing when Spurs played Bucs that season. Or what about when a powerful United turned on the class to destroy Chiefs 4-0 in 2008? It hasn't all been one-sided though – the Glamour Boys took down billionaires City with a 1-0 victory in the final in 2009. Even earlier instalments of the competition playing against top African sides like Esperance AS Vita and TP Mazembe were a worthwhile exercise.   It seems hard to argue that either bringing top European club sides to Mzansi, or travelling abroad to face them, is not the way forward. Surely, we have to continually test our own standards and measure ourselves against the best if we want our football to progress! Even Bafana's latest preparation type matches have left some fans scratching their heads in bewilderment. What benefit do we get from playing against Swaziland and Lesotho? These are tiny countries that barely have a sustainable professional league. These trips were thoroughly pointless, but Shakes Mashaba has his own views and he's in charge so we have to grin and bear it.   The question that must be asked is – how does any football side benefit from playing on a cabbage patch against mediocre players? Aside from generally improving fitness levels, it's completely uninspiring and a real waste of time and energy! If anything, you risk injury more than anything else! This is why the example set by the City of Cape Town in organising this weekend's Cape Town Cup is to be applauded. English Premiership outfit, Crystal Palace, and Portuguese Primeira Liga side, Sporting Lisbon, will take on SuperSport United and Ajax Cape Town respectively. It's a chance for both PSL sides to test themselves against two top-class European outfits. And, who knows… perhaps one of the visitors will spot one of our young stars, opening up a new world of opportunities.   That's why I say, let Chiefs, Bucs and Downs play against the world's best from Europe, especially during the pre-season periods! Let's see our best teams bring back a trophy from the most watched and adored theatres of world football, instead of bringing back a cow from Swaziland. That's what Dave says… what do you say?   David Minchella   Soccer Laduma senior journalist

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