Kaizer Chiefs fans cheer on their team during a recent league game against Mamelodi Sundowns FILE - Kaizer Chiefs fans cheer on their team during a league game against Mamelodi Sundowns. Photo: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
While Bafana Bafana shone on the international stage, it was a year full of highs and lows on the domestic front.
From Mamelodi Sundowns’ almost invincible season, to Bafana filling up stadiums across the country, there has been a sense of optimism. South Africa fell in love with Bafana Bafana again, and in turn, they also fell in love with the game.
And that was evident in Kaizer Chiefs’ games in the early stages if the season.
There is an adapted saying that goes: “When Kaizer Chiefs sneezes, the rest of the South African football landscape catches a cold.” Not really, but you get the picture.
With Kaizer Chiefs starting the season well following the arrival of new head coach Nasreddine Nabi, there was a renewed sense of confidence among their fans, who turned out in their numbers to show their support.
Usually, the FNB Stadium only experiences sell-out crowds for the Soweto derby between Chiefs and local rivals Orlando Pirates. This season, they managed to fill up FNB Stadium when Pirates were not the opponents for the first time in a long time. And they did it twice.
And when their games were taken to other provinces, they managed to get good crowds there as well.
Across the Jukskei, Sundowns had a historic league campaign last season. Under the tutelage of Rulani Mokwena at the time, Sundowns swept everyone aside, and when the last game of the league season kicked off, they were 90 minutes away from becoming the first South African team to go through an entire league season unbeaten.
On May 25, Eric Tinkler’s Cape Town City rolled into Loftus Versfeld and left with all three points, breaking the hearts of Sundowns’ faithful supporters nationwide.
Hugo Broos did well with the national team this year. For the first time in over two decades, South Africa returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with a medal, and that was thanks to a number of top performances.
Bafana captain Ronwen Williams was nominated for a Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or Awards, as well as a number of gongs on the African continent. And the likes of Teboho Mokoena and Relebohile Mofokeng have been linked with big moves to Europe.
After Afcon, the team followed that up doing well in World Cup qualifiers, and finished off the year by booking their place in the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
And there were the lows. Kaizer Chiefs’ clashes against Sundowns at the FNB Stadium were marred by bad behaviour from fans, who disagreed with the referee’s decisions.
In ugly scenes, there missiles targeted at the officials and the Sundowns bench. The incidents were not a good advert for South African football. Chiefs were punished and handed a slap on the wrist, but further issues will surely land the club in much more serious trouble.
Gqeberha does not get many international games, and the fans’ behaviour during Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Uganda will not have impressed SAFA officials. The game had to be stopped for a while to allow the fans to start behaving.
Last month, SAFA president Danny Jordaan found himself behind bars and due in court, facing charges of fraud and corruption. These charges come at a time when the South African game’s governing body is going through a tough time financially.
Bafana Bafana did well to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations with games to spare, but SAFA and their ineptitude brought us all back down to earth and reminded us that South Africa is still a movie.
IOL Sport