5 things to look out for in SA football in 2020

Will Kaizer Chiefs finally rule the roost again?

Ernst Middendorp’s side finished ninth last season, but to give the German a break, he was not in charge for the full campaign and given a pre-season, plus some astute signings, he has now moulded a Chiefs side that sit seven points clear at the top of the table. With Mamelodi Sundowns pre-occupied with the Caf Champions League, Bidvest Wits with a squad stretched by the Caf Confederation Cup, and Orlando Pirates in the midst of a shambolic season, Chiefs look even more well-places to finally break a five year gap without a Premiership title. Sundowns, however, in particular, are likely to provide them with a stern test and Chiefs will need to show the same kind of resolve that saw them win 11 and lose just one of their opening 14 league games.

Can Zinnbauer zoom Orlando Pirates up the table?

It is a little odd that after the tumultuous season they have had, Pirates went into the Christmas break in fifth place in the Absa Premiership table. The reality is that this has been an abysmal season so far for the Buccaneers, with head coach Milutin Sredojevic suddenly resigning, a bloated squad exiting the Caf Champions League before the group stages, and a spell with Rulani Mokwena in charge proving mostly disastrous. Pirates are 15 points behind Chiefs after 14 matches, tellingly far closer to Polokwane City at the bottom of the table (seven points ahead) than Amakhosi at the top. Josef Zinnbauer came in, a German head coach plucked from relative obscurity by Irvin Khoza, and it remains to be seen if he proves to be an inspired choice, or a calamity in the mould of Kjell Jonevret. A 3-1 win over Black Leopards was a decent start, but now, after he has had some time to work with the squad, is when his abilities can truly be assessed.

Can Mamelodi Sundowns win another Champions League?

Even if they can’t catch Kaizer Chiefs in the title race, Sundowns could finish the season with three trophies, with the Telkom Knockout already in the bag, the Nedbank Cup still to come, and with Pitso Mosimane’s side in a superb position to make it to the quarterfinals of the Caf Champions League. While a third straight Absa Premiership title would still be an incredible achievement, one really feels Sundowns will be happy with a knockout treble, especially if they can get a second Champions League title, after their extraordinary triumph in 2016. Sundowns have been consistently good performers in Africa’s top tier club competition over the years, and the experience they have gained has been perfectly illustrated in this year’s competition, with an impressive win over Petro at home in Group C, followed by a draw at biggest rivals Wydad Casablanca, and a narrow 1-0 win at USM Alger. If they can take this sort of know-how on the road into the knockout rounds, Sundowns will be a serious problem for any team.

How will the Under-23s fare at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games?

South Africa did superbly to reach the men’s football tournament at the Tokyo Olympics, always an achievement of note given that only three teams fro Africa are given a place. David Notoane’s side, like their counterparts who reached Rio 2016, did it the hard way, beating Ghana after a dramatic penalty shoot out to win the third and final spot in Tokyo. The question now is whether South Africa can now go to Tokyo and get to the knockout stage for the first time, having failed to do so at Sydney 2000 and Rio 2016. Notoane certainly has a talented squad at his disposal, with oversea-based talent like Lyle Foster and Luther Singh, and local stars like Sipho Mbule and Teboho Mokoena, whose stunning free kick against Ivory Coast was one of the highlights of the while Under-23 Afcon. As long as clubs release their players for the Olympics, of which there is no guarantee, and Notoane also gets his overage picks right, SA have every chance of shining in Japan.

Can Bafana fire on two fronts?

Molefi Ntseki has a tough task ahead of him to first qualify South Africa for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, and then for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, as South Africa look to get back on the biggest stage in football for the first time since hosting in 2010. Bafana, indeed have not actually made it through the qualifying process to get to a World Cup finals since Carlos Queiroz got the team to Japan and South Korea 2002. With a bye to group stages, the first step for Bafana is to wait for the qualifying draw in Cairo on January 21, before the action starts, with World Cup qualifiers at the end of March and the beginning of June. The draw is likely to be tough for Ntseki’s side, because of their seeding, and with only the group winners going into the third round of qualifying. The year will finish off, meanwhile with four Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers between August and November, as the 24 teams who make it to Cameroon 2021 are decided. Bafana currently have three points from two matches, and should have the ability to make it into the top two in the group that will go to Cameroon. Whether they can make it to Qatar is a whole different matter.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.