The Vodacom Challenge kicks off this weekend in Mmabatho, featuring two of the South African’s best-supported football teams against the might of Congo in what has traditionally become the precursor of things to come in the season for the local sides.
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will temporarily suspend their domestic
rivalry in a bid to bring the kudu horn trophy back to South Africa. FC St Eloi-Lupopo and TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may have other ideas — in particular Lupopo, who are the defending champions and would be loathe to lose the title as well as the financial rewards that come with it.
Since its inception five years ago, the Vodacom Challenge has rarely been short of drama. Initially the competition sold itself a tester for an African ”super league”, an idea that never took off, and over the years Chiefs and Pirates have played opponents from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Zimbabwe and the DRC.
Kaizer Chiefs once again will start as favourites to lift the trophy. Chiefs have played in all four of the past finals and twice emerged as winners. Pirates (1999) and Lupopo (2002) won the others. Amakhosi will be itching to erase the bad memories of the past season with a quick return to winning ways and the challenge provides an excellent opportunity for their fans to take a glimpse into the future.
Chiefs have been reunited with Ted Dumitru, arguably the most astute soccer coach in Southern Africa today. He has coached and succeeded in most of the English-speaking countries of the region, both at club and national team level. Dumitru’s CV includes South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Swaziland. The club fans are also hoping that he will rekindle the magic of the early 1990s that propelled Amakhosi to the top with Dumitru at the helm.
True to the spirit of the challenge, there will be new faces galore in the line-ups. Already Chiefs have signalled their intentions to reclaim top status with the acquisition of Jabulani Mendu, Sibisiso Dlamini and Patrick Mayo. It is envisaged that Mayo will bring some experience in front goals and that Dlamini’s creativity could provide some respite to the never-ending saga of Jabu Pule. The jury is still out on whether Mendu could eventually become the new Doctor Khumalo for both Chiefs and Bafana Bafana.
Pirates have been less enamoured with Vodacom Challenge over the past two years, and again they seem happy to try new ideas at this stage. In TP Mazembe they meet a familiar adversary, having lost to the Congolese in the champions league last year. In the past the Buccaneers used this tournament to look at emerging talent and test mental readiness of some of their fringe players.
Promising starlets like Makhosonke Bhengu, Boitumelo Moleyane and new Congolese striker Kabanga Charmal could feature prominently for the Bucs.
To compound matters for Pirates, Gift Leremi, Joseph Makhanya and Lesley Manyathela are out on international duty in Kenya, and club captain Mbulelo Mabizela, Lucky Lekgwathi and Manyathela soon depart to join the Bafana Bafana squad to play in Burundi next week. Pirates look more depleted than the other three contenders but again it is time to prove some of their fringe players.
FC Lupopo will have to beat Chiefs in the first semifinal to boost their hopes of retaining the kudu horn. If either of the local teams could claim to have been surprised by Lupopo’s performance last year, now the Congolese champions must be regarded with grudging respect. A win for Lupopo brings a prospect of an all-Congolese final with Mazembe.
Mazembe beat Pirates in the champions league and went all the way to the semifinals before succumbing to Zamalek, the eventual winners. But this challenge may have come too soon for Mazembe, who are in the process of
rebuilding the side after that wonderful run in the champions league left them a bit threadbare.
While Chiefs look like favourites to book a finals berth in Durban next week, especially since they have had an early start while preparing for the Peace Cup in Korea, one thing is certain — that a Congolese player will get a winner’s medal. Both Chiefs and Pirates will have Congolese strikers leading their respective attacks.