I can’t believe the PSL season kicks off this week already.
As mentioned before, I didn’t really feel the buzz of the pre-season with the lack of high-profile friendly matches in the country.
I guess the first time I really sensed it was the start of a new season was earlier this week when Cape Town City announced a new main sponsor.
In true City style, the event was fun and interactive.
Head coach Eric Tinkler was talking tough, and he should be, following a truly encouraging finish to last season, despite making some big changes halfway through the campaign.
They have the club’s golden boy Lebogang Manyama back with them training and trying to convince the club that he still has what it takes after being released by Kaizer Chiefs.
Take this from a man who has shared a stage with both coaches, Eric Tinkler and Steve Barker, of our representatives Cape Town City and Stellenbosch respectively; these are two men with high ambitions.
It feels like they’ve also been given some room to build, judging by the type of signings and exits at the club over the past two years.
Stellies have shown some real faith in their youth talent.
The Ashley du Preez era is a thing of the past with the exciting winger set for his new life as a Kaizer Chiefs player.
The stage has been set for the next big talent from their youth setup, which has gained a bit of a reputation over the last year or two, to step up and be counted.
The reserve team has already bagged silverware as champions of the DStv Diski Challenge. Their reward was a tour to test themselves at the Premier League Next Generation Cup.
And guess what? They won the tournament, beating Leicester 7-2 to secure the title from the UK adventure.
So there’s really something there in that talent pool in the Winelands.
They promoted at least eight players last season and it will now be up to talents like Fuad Johnson and Antonio Van Wyk to prove that they have what it takes to make it in the big stage.
What’s the club’s ambitions? Top eight will be achieved comfortably, but Caf qualification is a reality for them. They did keep up with Sundowns for a large part of the last season’s Q1 and Q2.
That’s unless things click for them with the new signings they’ve made.
The Winelands’ pride and joy will begin their campaign on the road in Limpopo against Marumo Gallants on Saturday afternoon and return home to welcome Orlando Pirates for this season’s first match at the Danie Craven Stadium.
Five-time champions Sundowns remain the team to beat and hope that everyone else does what they need to do if they are to be dethroned.
These were the sentiments shared by Cape Town City’s head coach Eric Tinkler, who refused to throw in the towel despite the Brazilians being favourites to win the league title again.
They will kick off their sixth defence of the league championship right here in the Mother City against our very own Citizens.
City have proven that they can stretch their luck with some really slick work in the transfer market.
Imagine signing a marquee goalkeeper signing (Darren Keet), with a 50/50 chance to be the Bafana Bafana number one and he gets injured at the beginning of the season?
Despite having adequate cover in prospect Marc Anderson, the son of former Bafana goalkeeper Mark Anderson, and Bongani Mpandle, City brought in a veteran goalkeeper from Angola (Hugo Marques) with Portuguese top-flight football experience.
With a Goalkeeper of the Year award and some club records to prove, City don’t have anything to be concerned about between the sticks.
They have continued with the trend of digging up some surprises from the foreign market, with the addition of American Jordan Bender last week.
These ouens really like to push their luck, but why not, it has worked for them from the start.
What is it they say? If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it?
They might not have the depth to go toe-to-toe with Sundowns, but they have a very strong core that can at least get them close to the Tshwane giants.
I’m putting my money on City to really make a push for it, but I would accept a runners-up finish as a successful campaign for the men in blue and gold!
dailyvoice@inl.co.za