Ntuthuko Maphumulo
Ajax Cape Town, Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns have one thing in common: they have all failed to stamp their authority on this year’s continental competitions.
The three teams began their campaigns dismally and will be hoping to win this weekend to salvage some pride.
South Africa’s record in African cup competitions is poor, with Orlando Pirates being the only team to have won a continental club competition the 1995 Champions Cup, which was replaced by the Champions League.
Ajax Cape Town are competing in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup, Chiefs in the Cup Winners’ Cup, and Sundowns’ 1999/2000 Premier Soccer League title put them in the richest cup competition in Africa, the Champions League, worth R7-million.
Sundowns have to register a win in their home game against TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo this weekend if they have any hope of emulating Pirates. They have already lost 0-2 to Julius Berger of Nigeria and drawn two games, against TP Mazembe and Esperance of Tunisia. The South Africans are bottom of their group, with only the two top teams from each group qualifying for the semifinals.
Kaizer Chiefs have often withdrawn from African competitions and threatened to do the same this year saying their priority is to win the league, a feat that has eluded them for the past 10 years. Chiefs must beat Ismaila in Cairo if they wish to progress. Chiefs might rue squandering several scoring chances when they drew with the Egyptians a week ago at Ellis Park.
Ajax Cape Town lost 2-0 to Etoile du Sohail of Tunisia last week and travel to North Africa this weekend for the return leg.
Hearts of Oak from Ghana won last year’s Champions League; Cup Winners’ Cup winners were Zamalek of Egypt, while the CAF Cup champions are JS Kabjle of Algeria.