Loading ...Wow, what a game that was! Full house, goals galore and a frenetic finish.
English Premiership? Think again.
Chiefs vs Ajax was the best on the box this weekend, despite Arsenal’s fab four or Manchester United’s five goals at Wigan.
Hell, even Chelsea’s supposed West London derby at Fulham had nothing on that. Sadly, this season’s league favourites serve up entertainment in toddler-sized doses.
Even Carlo Ancelotti strikes as a man whose height of excitement is in slightly overcooking his pasta on a Sunday night.
Yes, they are odds-on to win the title, but don’t expect it to be followed by a flurry of goals and moves to mesmerise the masses. Chelsea’s strength is simply that: being able to outlast opponents by sheer force and will of character.
Now, back to the diski.
Before you anticipate the usual garb about the MTN 8 quarter-final being a great advert for local soccer, I suggest we set our sights a little further.
Why the heck can we not have that every week?
If local fans had that quality served up on a weekly basis, there would be no need to idolise the Liverpools and Manchester Uniteds of this world.
We would have our own stars to salivate over.
I mean, look at the goals on offer on Sunday. Jose Torrealba’s delicious finish, Brett Evans wand of a left foot and, of course, Franklin Cale’s barn-storming finish!
What more does a fan need to let him go waltzing in to work on Monday? For even as a Chiefs fan, I can say with certainty that it was a privilege to behold local diski at its finest.
And central to the fantastic display was the great pitch they played on. Orlando Stadium was purpose-built for soccer, and it shows.
The stadium was snooker-table like, and the players seemed to thrive on it. It is deeply frustrating to see so many of our sides reduced to borrowing rugby stadiums that resemble cabbage patches. It is counter-productive and does players and fans no credit to see balls bobbling about as if they are on a piece of grazing patch for the countless cattle we see sprawled everywhere these days.
We have talent in Mzansi, that is for sure. But continually it is blunted by inadequate infrastructure. We keep hearing that we are the richest league in Africa. Let’s see it, then.
Why can’t we have quality stadia, instead of having to ask baas Loftus and uncle Ellis Park nicely every other week?
Safa keep on waxing lyrical about the game being healthy — prove it.
Show us the finished product, for it has been years of promises. Even as a Chiefs fan, I don’t mind if we are usurped by the likes of SuperSport and Ajax — they are playing better football.
And their strikers seem to know what a net looks like, unlike certain famous sons of illustrious fathers …
Anyway, it is great to see such a fantastic spectacle. But I don’t think we should be merely satisfied with a bi-monthly treat.
This is supposed to be the best league on the continent.
Please, good sirs, some more please!
Well put lad!
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