Opinion: Ofori has every reason to believe Bucs can compete in Africa.

Having a born again Orlando Pirates team that won a cup double last season in the domestic league competing in the CAF Champions League in the coming campaign, is a boost for South African football, more especially for Bafana Bafana. 

Players like Innocent Maela, Monnapule Saleng, Miguel Timm, Zakhele Lepasa and Nkosinathi Sibisi, who are national team players will welcome the prospect of competing  against the best that Africa has to offer in club football. 

They should be able to transfer their CAFCL experience to the national team. 

But for the above players to really get the feel of what it is like to play in Africa, Pirates will have to at least make the group stages. 

The big question is whether they have what it takes to get that far. 

In my opinion, Pirates have enough ammunition in their arsenal to reach the group stages and even go further. 

Besides the Bafana Internationals in their ranks, they also have capable players like Thabang Monare, Makhehlene Makhaula, Thapelo Xoki, and the experienced Kermit Erasmus to name only a few. 

Individuals aside, as a team, Amabhakaniya showed enough tactical/technical maturity to be able to do well in Africa. 

Their defense is solid, and offensively they are a team capable of unlocking defenses and create goal scoring opportunities. 

It is maybe in psychological aspects of the game where Bucs might be found wanting, which is unfortunately the most important aspect for a team hoping to do well in Africa. 

If they can be well prepared mentally to withstand the pressures of travelling, fixture congestion, and opposition antics on and off the pitch aimed at unsettling them, there is no reason Bucs cannot go far. 

Like Ofori, I also believe Bucs can compete in Africa. 

Opinion: With Jali in their nest, the Birds can only aim for the sky.

From having Steve Komphela as their head coach, to changing their name to the original Moroka Swallows, and now Andile Jali's signing, the Birds are in serious business of getting their nest in order. 

Having found themselves flying close the ground, the relegation zone that is, for the past two seasons, it seems like Swallows management have decided enough is enough, it is time to aim for the sky. 

Komphela and Jali can be just the wind that the Birds needed beneath their wings in order to fly higher. 

Jali, most importantly, can be the catalyst in the Swallows revival. 

His presence in the team, coupled with his experience and leadership skills can rub off positively to the less experienced Swallows players. 

Add to that the fact that AJ is still one of the best defensive midfielders in the country, and you can just imagine the impact he may have at Swallows. 

But that will depend on which AJ shows up at the Birds. 

Will it be an AJ who is determined and committed to the course of taking Swallows back to the top where it once belonged amongst the likes of their Soweto rivals like Orlando Pirates and Kaizer chiefs? 

A Jali who is still willing to give 100% on the field of play any given Sunday? 

Because if Swallows are getting that AJ, they might just have won the lottery, because that AJ is a beast in midfield. 

What would be sad is if Swallows have signed an AJ who is going there just to wind down his playing career, preparing for his retirement while earning a salary. 

That is not an Andile Jali the Birds would like to have in their nest, trust me. 

Hopefully, it is the former rather than the latter that they have signed, an AJ who will be the glue that keeps the Swallows wings intact as they take to the sky. 

Opinion: Sorry Caleb, we expected better.

Eight goals in 21 games is not at all a bad return for a striker in the DStv Premiership. 

In fact, Caleb Bimenyimana should be looking forward to banging in more goals for Kaizer Chiefs in the 2023/24 season. 

Unfortunately, it seems like Bimenyimana is on his way out of Amakhosi, not that I am surprised, Caleb is just not by any means Chiefs material. 

His case is made worse by the fact that half, if not more than half of the eight goals he scored for Amakhosi were penalties. 

Obviously, Chiefs were looking for much more than a penalty specialist when they signed Caleb, they were looking for someone who could score goals in open play, something he didn't seem to be good enough in. 

If Caleb was actually good with the ball at his feet, if he could interact well with his teammates in possession and create goal scoring opportunities if he could not score himself, it would have been easier to plead his case. 

But Caleb can't even play, too awkward he looks with the ball at his feet eKasi we would call him inkomo. 

He makes you wonder how the hell did he make it to Naturena in the first place. 

The fact that there are teams actually interested in him, Wydad for that matter, is amazing, his ancestors are definitely rooting for him. 

The only thing I for one will miss about Caleb is his "Black Panther" celebration after converting yet another penalty. Nothing else. 

Oh! and maybe the way his face lit up when Amakhosi were awarded a penalty.