Johannesburg - The first half of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) season was not short of talking points. And yet there’s a buzzing feeling all round that the second half will be more controversial.
Since being branded the PSL 26 years ago, the country’s top-flight division has never resumed for the second half of the campaign on New Year’s Eve.
But thanks to the ongoing Fifa World Cup, which prematurely suspended the league for the Christmas break, history is on the horizon for local football.
That change has forced teams to return early for training – auguring well for coaches who want their players to be sharp during the festive period.
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And judging from the first half of the term, the 16 teams will be in for a treat in the second half, looking at what’s at stake and what needs to be fixed as well.
In the past five years, Mamelodi Sundowns have been the team to beat in the PSL, winning five titles in a row. A first in the history of SA soccer.
Downs looked untouchable and the deployment of three coaches – Rhulani Mokwena, Steve Komphela and Manqoba Mngqithi – seemed to work.
Well, that was until the wheels seemed to come off two months ago when the club reshuffled the technical team due to losses and unconvincing wins.
Mokwena was appointed the sole custodian, while Komphela was elevated to the “first team coach” role before Mngqithi was demoted to a “senior coach”.
Those changes saw Mokwena win three games on the bounce, and the fans’ Beer Cup before the trio jetted off to the World Cup in Qatar.
They are back in the country and already plotting the way for the second half of the season, while Mokwena is also doing some punditry work.
The second half of the season will be taxing for the young tactician, given that he’d have to finish the race that he started together with Mngqithi, alone.
Mokwena’s rise should be a good thing for football because he’s been earmarked as the beacon of hope for his peers who haven’t been given enough backing.
Arthur Zwane’s ascension as the new Kaizer Chiefs coach promoted mixed reactions, but he managed to get through the first half of the campaign.
Zwane works for a demanding institute where Chiefs’ fans want immediate results. And the only way he can shake off the pressure is if he wins matches.
During his appointment, Chiefs put a lot of resources into place, with the latest the rekindling of their relationship with sport apparel manufacturer Kappa for next season.
Perhaps, the first half of the season duly belonged to Chiefs’ arch-rivals Orlando Pirates, though, as they won the first domestic cup, the MTN8.
Pirates’ triumph vindicated coach Jose Riveiro who was called a cheap import upon his arrival, while new gems such as Miguel Timm were unleashed.
But will the Bucs be able to continue with the momentum heading into the final lap? Well, that remains the big question, but we’ll surely be in for a treat!
IOL Sport