Only the over-zealous supporters of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will say that their teams can challenge for the league, or anything else, after their disappointing displays in the Vodacom Challenge in which both Soweto clubs lost to English Premiership club Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs convincingly beat both teams 2-1 and then walloped Pirates 3-0 in the final of the competition.
Chiefs put on a good show in the first game of the series where signings Mabhuti Khanyeza, Onismor Bhasera and Thuso Phala were unveiled, as well as their new kit for the season.
Left-back Bhasera made the biggest impression of the lot and looked promising in defence as well as attack and it was from his cross that Shaun Bartlett scored.
Chiefs have not had an established player in this position for a while but Bhasera looks like he could make it his own this season.
Cyril Nzama and Patrick Mayo did not exactly look like a solid pair of centre backs and Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral will have to strengthen this department.
Emile Baron was passable in goal and although the Cape Town-born keeper has not starred for Chiefs in a competitive game since joining them, if his fitness improves he could get the nod ahead of the unknown Markus Bocsker.
Up front, Bartlett and Khanyeza hardly looked like a striking combination and compared to Spurs’ recently acquired strikers, Darren Bent and Dimitar Berbatov, they were flat.
Pirates also showed off their new signings against Spurs but like Chiefs, are far from being a formidable team.
Francis Chansa’s acrobatics in goal excited the Pirates faithful and the confident keeper seems set to hold his position this season.
Chansa’s backline exposed him badly. After 12 minutes, Lucky Lekgwathi, Destin Makita, Lehlohonolo Seema and Innocent Mdledle were caught napping when a long ball from inside the Spurs half found Bent unmarked.
With only Chansa to beat the multimillion-rand striker lofted the ball over the keeper to score.
In midfield Joseph Kamwendo, Joseph Makhanya, Lebohang Mokoena and Mlungisi Gumbi were easily muscled off the ball and lacked the speed and fitness to keep up with the burly Spurs midfielders. Bucs players had more tricks than their London-based counterparts but could not create goals for their hapless forwards despite their silky skills. Strikers Bennett Chenene and Ralph Matema hardly got a sniff at goal and not much can be said about their contribution. The young Excellent Walaza made more of an impact when he replaced Matema and won the penalty.
Jimmy Tau was exposed by his former teammate Mokoena who beat the right-back to set-up Chenene for the only goal of the game at the coastal Soweto derby. There was not much Bocsker could do to stop the goal but he did little to win the hearts of the AmaKhosi faithful.
Nzama and company could not contain the lively Bucs, who attacked through Mokoena and Makhanya on the wings and Kamwendo through the middle.
Wayward finishing robbed the Port Elizabeth fans of seeing more goals.
Mooki showed glimpses of brilliance against the old foe but against the younger and hungrier Pirates, the past master faded while his defensive counterpart, Tinashe Nengomashe, is nowhere near to the form that won him a Player of the Year award in his first season with Chiefs.
The Londoners were ruthless in the final and won the game in the first half. Pirates defence was feeble, their midfield poor and the strikers incapacitated. – Sapa