Apart from the football, I was quite impressed with the brotherhood between Zesco United and Mamelodi Sundowns, from the players to the technical team.
There were frustrating moments for both clubs but since they were playing against their Southern African ‘brothers’, it didn’t spill over to anything malicious.
When a player was fouled, there wasn’t much remonstrating from the victim or his bench. He would just accept the perpetrator’s hand and the game moved on. It was a refreshing sight, especially in the CAFChampions League infamous for hostility and unsporting behaviour. The enterprising football was also a good advert for football in the region.
It’s important that whoever reaches the final between these two teams goes on and win the cup. It would make up for Bafana Bafana and Chipolopolo failing to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations. How these clubs got here, upsetting North African powerhouses Al-Ahly and Zamalek to reach the last four, is motivating for a region that has spent the past years as continental football’s whipping boys.
They were able to get this far because they wanted to shake off that stigma. They were both written off when the draw for the group stage was announced.
No one expected Zesco to finish in the top two of a group that had eight-time Africa champions Al-Ahly, Wydad Casablanca and Asec Mimosas.
Sundowns were grouped with clubs who have won the Champions League a combined nine times. Zamalek led with their five titles while ES Setif and Enyimba have two titles each. But because their best comes out when the odds are stacked against them, Downs and Zesco overcame. Hopefully they build from this good run and it doesn’t become a celebration that we have teams in the semifinal but we are up there competing with the best. Sundowns do look like they can keep this run even next year because they’re after all ‘having fun’ in this campaign. They’ve strengthened their team and picked up good experience. The foundation for Downs doing well on the continent was built in their pre-season trips all over Africa. Two of those were to Zambia, where they developed the brotherhood with Zesco.
Independent Media