Charity Cup: Laying down markers

So what should we expect from the Charity Cup this weekend? Sundowns are the hands-down favourites to win, with good reason too — they have way too much quality in their ranks and the boys know that they need to start the season off on a strong note in order not to put pressure on themselves to face Patrice’s oft-used guillotine.

Zuma, Vilakazi, Mphela, Mbesuma, Dladla and Nyadoro are as close to a victory guarantee as you are likely to get in the PSL these days. Also having offloaded Benson Mhlongo to Pirates (simultaneously strengthening their defence while dealing a mortal blow to the Pirates backline), they aren’t about to leak enough goals to jeopardise their chances. If OJ Mabizela can get to about 60% to 70% of his abilities (and stay sober), they will certainly be a solid unit at the back. There’s always the spectre of dressing-room unrest from disgruntled former regular starters but that’s not a concern just yet. Give it, say, a month?

Kaizer Chiefs have added some quality to their team. Jose Torrealba was a notable loss for Sundowns and he and Kaizer Motaung Jnr could yet form a potent partnership. Torrealba’s vision and (relative) footballing intelligence may just be what’s needed to make the most of Motaung’s pace and enthusiastic, if often fruitless, endeavour.

Their midfield does look to be lacking the inventiveness of a few years back, though. Oh how the Chiefs fans must long for the days of Shakes Khungoane dictating matters from the middle of the park and making the ball do everything short of recomposing Beethoven’s Fifth while standing almost still on the centre circle with his girth seemingly expanding by the second.

Nowadays the Chiefs midfield seems reserved for speedy individuals who lack the tactical awareness and commitment to be in defence and the sharpness to play upfront. Hell, even Nengomashe has lost that imperious zeal of a few years back. As for their defence, well, what defence? Pirates’ toothless forwards (I refuse to call them strikers) gave them plenty of problems last time out and their lily-livered surrender to Man United’s forwards would have made any French war effort look positively Churchill-esque. Khune is in for another season of weekly heroic endeavour if he’s to keep this lot afloat another season.

Ditto Pirates. Dr Khoza needs to invest in some heavy-duty man-sized cotton wool in which to keep that Teko Modise boy wrapped if we (yes, we!) are to have any chance of putting in a respectable showing this season, let alone this Saturday. I would imagine we are still going to be informed of just how we are going to close that Mhlongo-shaped hole in defence which we so eagerly took from Sundowns. No offence to the guy, but he seems to have effectively retired from football without actually ceasing to lace up his boots. I worry. Anyone who saw the limp display against Kaizer Chiefs would concede that as much as King Khune was the only thing between us and a victory, we are still way short of where we should be if we intend to mount anything more challenging than the local lasses on Saturday.

Platinum Stars will do what we expect of all underdogs punching above their weight: be all over Pirates from the first whistle and not give them any space and time to impose their authority on the game. Moeneeb Joseph had better invest in some heavy-duty dental prosthetics if he’s to withstand the barrage of shots sure to rain down on him without being distracted. It should be an interesting test of how the Bucs cope with a suffocating approach. Do they fold and start playing around all hassled, or will they take the high road, play the percentages and ease their way back into the game by keeping it simple and adhering to the footballing mantra that possession is nine-10ths of the football game?

So how do I think Saturday will pan out? The head says Sundowns, but the heart says Ezimnyama will somehow find the magic formula and rediscover pride in the black. And as long as it is blood that courses through mine veins, I’ll go with the Happy People.

Woza weekend!