South African football looks set to be handed a major boost in the 2015 CAF inter-continental competitions, with two PSL outfits entering into both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.
Having four teams in African competition every year used to be normal for South African football, however following a number of poor performances on the continent, Mzansi was demoted and only allowed one team in each tournament.
Now, following Orlando Pirates' impressive performance last season when they reached the final of the prestigious competition, South Africa have accumulated enough points to warrant four teams taking part.
The way it works is that all of the teams participating in the two cups are given a certain amount of points if they make it through to the group stages. These points are then made the subject of a multiplier depending on how recent the performance was. The points run over a period of five years and the top twelve ranked teams get four participant slots.
So, for instance, in the 2014 editions which Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United will take part in, South Africa will have just the two participants because in the CAF five-year ranking leading up to it (2008-2012), no club from Mzansi accumulated any points.
However, that is all set to change in 2015, with Pirates picking up four points for their 2013 heroics, four points that will then be multiplied by five because of it being so recent, taking their tally to 20. Had that win been in 2012 it would be multiplied by four, in 2011 it would have been multiplied by three and so on.
Therefore, the 20 points that Pirates consequently amassed by making it to the final against Al Ahly last year, means that they climbed to 11th in the CAF five-year rankings, three points above 12th placed Angola but a whopping 90 points behind first ranked Tunisia.
According to the current rules of the tournament, the 51st edition of the CAF Champions League in 2015 will feature both the 2013/14 PSL champions and runners-up, while the CAF Confederation Cup will involve the 2013/14 Nedbank Cup winner and whichever PSL team finishes third.
Reaching the group stages of either competition guarantees you at least a point towards the five-year rankings, and if the Amakhosi or Matsatsantsa can follow the Buccaneers lead from last year, then SA could retain their four spots for the 2016 edition as well.
