South African clubs are making their mark on the continent with qualification to the next round of the various CAF club competitions.
Orlando Pirates sailed over Congolese club CSMD Diables Noirs in the CAF Confederation Cup play-off with a 1-0 win on Sunday. They will have for company fellow South African club Marumo Gallants. Gallants defeated AS Vita to scale through.
Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu did South Africa proud as they progressed to the group stages in the CAF Champions League.
Speaking on the successes of South African clubs on the continent, Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi pointed out the consequence of doing well in the CAF competitions. He also praised the input of some of the players in his team.
According to Ncikazi, it was a good sign for South African football and something that should make them proud. While praising the efforts of the other teams, he was more concerned for his team Orlando Pirates.
“It is good for South African football and if this is the direction that our football is taking. It gives comfort, but mainly I am happy that Pirates is through to the next phase.
“This is African football, and if you don’t score, you will have problems. I’m just happy that the team could go into the next phase,” he said.
Many took note of the inclusion of Goodman Mosele in the win over Diables Noirs. The youngster was recently in the news for the wrong reasons. The 21-year-old failed to report for national team duties but was held back for personal reasons.
Ncikazi praised the youngster for his performance, expressing surprise that he lasted the duration of the game.
“I was surprised that he lasted for the duration of the match. We were skeptical because it was his first match after the period that he was not with the team, but Goodman being Goodman, sustained himself and did well, contributed to the set-up, and I am happy that he is back.