This weekend we were lucky enough to see Orlando Pirates battle their way to the final of the CAF Champions League where they will face African giants, Al Ahly.
Despite the media frenzy that has transpired since the final whistle, I still don't think that people comprehend the sheer size of what the Buccaneers have achieved.
Firstly, what Roger de Sa's men have endured on the way to the final is incredible. What went down in Congo against TP Mazembe was nothing short of scandalous, yet they made it through unscathed. I'll be honest, I've had a good feeling about their CCL campaign ever since that game…
More importantly, Pirates are doing well for South Africa, for South African football. I know that's a cliché right now and is being used by every Tom, Dick and Harry, but let me explain.
It has been a while since Mzansi has had two teams taking part in the CCL. The reason for that is simple - performances on the continent haven't been good enough.
CAF work on a five-year ranking system for continental competition. This means that the most successful 12 countries in Africa over a five-year period are given four continental slots, two in the CCL and two in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Similar to the FIFA rankings, each country is given points relative to their performances in the CCL and CCC and those points are multiplied in relation to how recent the victory was. Here's a breakdown:
CAF CL:
Winner – 5 points
Runner-up – 4 points
Semi-finalists – 3 points
Third In Group – 2 points
Fourth in Group – 1 poins
CAF CC:
Winner – 4 points
Runner-up – 3 points
Semi-finalists – 2 points
Third/Fourth In Group – 1 point
These points are all subject to multipliers, although the multiplier is less with every year that passes. For example, in next year's CCL, points won in the 2007 edition of the competition are worth substantially less than points won in the 2011 edition.
Now I've explained that I'll get to my point. If Pirates win this competition they'll pick up five points and be given the chance to defend their crown next year. That means that both Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will be taking part.
If Pirates and Chiefs then both make the group stages of the 2014 edition of the tournament then South Africa will be guaranteed at least another two points, and if SuperSport United make the group stages in the CCC, then it's another point.
All of these points add up and perhaps, come the 2015 edition of the CCL, Mzansi will have two teams competing in the competition, as well as having two teams in the Confederations Cup…
In turn, that would create a pool of up to 120 players who would have the experience of playing on the continent in tough conditions against tough opposition, all of whom could then pass their experience on to the Bafana set-up.
I know I'm thinking pretty far forward, but don't you think that if there are four teams and up to 120 players representing Mzansi in Africa then it's going to benefit the Bafana Bafana set up?
It can't just be me who's not so short sighted that I can't see past club rivalries here, can it?
Hope to see 40 000 of you at Orlando Stadium in the first leg of the CCL. If you're not a Pirates fan then wear your Bafana jersey!
Yours in football,
Joe
Follow me on Twitter:@YesWeCrann
