Wits are better off out of Africa

On the one hand, just two points from five matches is a pretty abysmal tally, in a group that on paper looked like one Wits might be able to get out of and reach the quarterfinals.

On the other, given that Wits’ then CEO Jose Ferreira, alongside head coach Gavin Hunt, admitted before the competition started that the financial difficulties of playing in the competition meant it was not a priority, reaching the group stages, with a thin squad for the first time ever, could be seen as a decent effort.

The team Hunt fielded against Horoya on Sunday, where they lost 2-1 to end their faint hopes of making the last eight, certainly suggested that he kept a serious interest in the competition right to the end.

There was no chucking in of kids, as Liverpool’s Jeurgen Klopp has suggested he will do in an FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town, and instead Wits fought to the bitter end, even with 10 men on the pitch at a venue where Horoya rarely ever lose.

Hopefully Wits come out of this with an appetite for more, a desire to succeed on the continent however hard it is on the pocket.

Their exit, meanwhile, may well prove a blessing in disguise, as Wits look to catch Kaizer Chiefs at the top of the Absa Premiership. The potential is still there for Hunt’s charges to make a charge at the league title, though they suffered a blip in their recent loss to Cape Town City.

It is also likely that Wits will lose two key players, in Ricardo Goss and Sameehg Doutie, for a number of games after they were charged by the Premier Soccer League for assaulting referee Mxolisi Bambiso during that match.

While the use of the word assault is rather dramatic, they did push the match official, in a rash outburst that certainly deserves sanction. Without defending the pair, I do wonder whether some fatigue had not caught up with Wits in the City match, as their reaction to Bambiso’s decision to award City a perfectly valid penalty was completely over the top.

This only adds to the feeling that Wits are, for their domestic ambitions, better off out of Africa, and can also look forward to a mouthwatering Nedbank Cup last 32 tie against Orlando Pirates without worrying about any more travels in Africa.

If Hunt plays a less-than full strength side against Djoliba at home on Sunday, no one can blame him, with both teams already eliminated from the Confederation Cup.

Wits will need all hands on deck for the games against Black Leopards and the Buccaneers to follow, as wins in both those games will only fuel confidence that they can still get a trophy this season.
Even if Wits don’t win the league, and miss out on the Nedbank Cup, they are certainly candidates to finish second in the table and book a place in the more financially attractive Caf Champions League group stages, if they reach it.

For Wits, in other words, it is all to play for, and as such they shouldn’t really spend too much time worrying about that Confederation Cup failure.

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