SOWETAN SAYS | Magesi win good for SA football

After suffering from a spell of one-team dominance, there are signs SA football could be improving to a more competitive level.

Newly promoted Magesi sent shockwaves throughout domestic football when they stunned Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout at the weekend, beating them 2-1 after conceding first in a game they were largely expected to lose.

Magesi’s victory, while painful to the all-conquering Sundowns, is perhaps another indication that we could be in for an entertaining season ahead, after Sundowns monopolised the PSL by winning seven titles in the past seven years.

A one-team league could never be the way to grow our game and make it competitive. Indeed, a match where the winner is known before the ball is kicked cannot be ideal.

In the past, the PSL was a closely fought contest with the league championship decided on the last day. The last time this happened was in 2020, when Sundowns came from behind to close a massive points gap opened by Kaizer Chiefs. Then coached by Pitso Mosimane, Sundowns managed to haul themselves back into contention and upset Amakhosi right in the final minutes of that season.

But since then, it has been downhill for our local league, with Sundowns winning the league championship weeks before the final matches and setting new records.

We are seeing significant progress among the Sundowns challengers, for a change. Magesi upsetting the Tshwane club followed a feat set by Stellenbosch in the MTN8 in August, when they eliminated them in the two-leg semifinal.

Last month, unfancied Polokwane City managed to beat the Brazilians in a league match, ensuring talk of Sundowns finishing the season unbeaten – which looked a reality last season until Cape Town City won at Loftus Versfeld on the final day – is banished early this time.

Also, Orlando Pirates have showed signs of competitiveness after their blistering start to the season, winning seven matches in a row to occupy the top spot that’s usually seen as Sundowns’ rightful place.

We welcome PSL teams’ newfound confidence to go toe-to-toe with Sundowns, who should be credited with elevating the standard of SA football in the past decade. What’s left is for the rest of the teams to close the gap and have ambitions to win cups.

Magesi did just that, despite being an unknown entity only a few months ago. We congratulate them and especially their head coach, Clint Larsen, for a job well done.

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