SA quietly expanding its African footprint

SOUTH African football quietly expanded its continental footprint over the weekend when SA coaches performed giant-killing acts against insurmountable odds in hostile Tanzania and DR Congo in the top two tiers of CAF club competitions.

In stark contrast to its continental fortunes over the past decades, SA teams enjoyed a full house of Caf wins in the Champions League and Confederation Cup at the weekend.

In the wake of these results, for the first time, no less than four SA coaches will be plying their trade in the upcoming Champions League.

In the past, it has always been a matter of SA teams competing against conditions in African countries rather than African teams.

There was also the ever-present gamesmanship that hamstrung SA teams’ efforts to conquer opponents, and often in a hostile environment.

Marumo Gallants’ interim coach Mpho Maleka, a former Baroka FC centre forward, started the weekend on a high note at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa on Friday night.

Gallants were up against former Champions League winners AS Vita in a Confederation Cup second leg, preliminary round clash.

In a pre-match presser, Maleka warned that “AS Vita are going to bully and rough us (up)”. As it turned out, debutants Gallants drew 1-1 with 14-time DRC League winners. Gallants won 3-2 on aggregate as mighty AS Vita ended up on the also-rans’ scrapheap.

It was a phenomenal achievement by Maleka because he was given control of the squad a week before the match after Gallants dismissed head coach, Frenchman Sebastien Minge.

The next SA coach in the spotlight was little-known Morena Ramoreboli, who guided Bafana Bafana to Cosafa Cup success in July after the national team’s head honchos were laid low.

After this conquest, several fans enquired about Ramoreboli since some claimed he “came from nowhere”, while others asked “who the hell is he?” on social media.

Straight after the Cosafa Cup, Ramoreboli joined Botswana Premier League club Jwaneng Galaxy and over the weekend he guided the team to the Champions League. Galaxy caused a major upset by eliminating Simba SC from Tanzania, after securing a 3-3 aggregate and advancing on away goals.

In the first leg, Simba won 2-0 in Botswana but then went down 3-1 on Sunday in Dar es Salaam.

It was some achievement considering Simba have participated in the Champions League many times. They are the giants of east African football.

Coach Benni Mccarthy, the former Bafana goal poacher, was next in the spotlight when he guided Champions League debutants Amazulu to the group stage by eliminating five-time winners TP Mazembe. Amazulu qualified courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Mazembe at their Lubumbashi fortress.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ qualification has already been well documented and their coaching triumvirate of Manqoba Mngqithi, Steve Komphela and Rulani Mokwena will be joined by fellow South Africans Mccarthy, Ramoreboli and Al Ahly’s Pitso Mosimane in the group stage.