It's do-or-die time now

So, we’re at the business end of the Africa Cup of Nations and it’s just about anyone’s game. Now, you make the smallest mistake and you are out of the competition. I think the teams that have qualified have done extremely well to get through.

For me, Zambia have been the surprise package, making it through to the quarterfinals – an incredible achievement for them.

What about the big teams to lose out? Well, Senegal were obviously the biggest name team to miss out on the quarterfinals. Everyone expected them to get through and they fell woefully short, not even registering a point.

The big favourites are still Ghana and Ivory Coast, as they were before the start of the tournament, and it was no surprise to see them through to the last eight. Then there were the two host nations – Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Not big names in a traditional sense, but I made the point before the start of the tournament that a home crowd really can make a big difference and be a ‘12th man’ for the team in question.

That has proved to be the case, once again. What was also nice is that it extended local interest in the tournament, to at least the quarterfinals, with the locals coming out in support for their teams.

Just looking at the other smaller footballing nations to get through to the quarterfinals: Sudan, Mali and Tunisia. Well, Tunisia you can’t really call a small football nation, as they have a long history and have had some success. They are always going to be challenging, although they are not the powerhouse they used to be.

They are a typical North African team – very effective. They do have their moments where they play what I call ‘Hollywood Football’, when they dive and throw themselves around on the ground. But, at the end of the day, a result is a result, and they’ve been getting them.

No-one really took notice of Sudan, and they snuck into the quarterfinals without much attention. Mali are interesting – they’ve produced some great players and that has continued with the likes of Seydou Keita, who plays for Barcelona. They just haven’t delivered until now.

Afcon attendance has been really poor, but there could be some telling factors in that. Maybe it was the time of day or the cost of tickets? I don’t know. It appeared that only the host nations have drawn big crowds so far. It will be a bit of a concern for Caf, but perhaps the organising committee should take responsibility.

Back at SuperSport, there’s been a bit less running this week, as we get closer to the resumption of the league. We did manage to record another victory in the Reserve League, which was good – Jabu Maluleke scoring a great goal against Atlie FC.

We’ve also had some fun, with management organising another one of those braai and slip-and-slide days. Those are always fun and good for morale. The vibe amongst the players now is good and I can actually see the guys getting more focused, the closer we get to resuming league action.

We also had another new face this week, with Sameegh Doutie joining us from Orlando Pirates. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do down either the right or left flank.

Until next week, when I’ll have news on how we went in a four-team tournament in Rustenburg, involving ourselves, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Platinum Stars. The perfect tune-up, ahead of what is going to be a demanding few months in the league.