Last year was a big one for world news and there were plenty of headline stories in South African football too.
Before we write off the year that was, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest newsmakers of 2016.
It was the year of Kabo Yellow without a doubt.
In May they were crowned South African champions. In fact they ran away with the title, winning it by a massive 14 points.
Their run to that trophy was impressive but the best was yet to come.
In October of 2016 the likes of Keagan Dolly, Khama Billiat, Hlompo Kekana, Anthony Laffor, Thabo Nthethe and one of the Cape Flats’ very own Wayne Arendse (even though he was suspended for the second leg of the final) all wrote their names in the history books.
Sundowns smashed all manner of records by beating Zamalek 3-0 in the first leg of the Caf Champions League final.
And then they did the impossible by winning the top honour on the continent in Egypt, despite losing the second leg 1-0.
We witnessed Sundowns make history last year and when people talk about this for years to come, we can say we saw it live.
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach made headlines when he was named Orlando Pirates boss before the start of the season.
I, for one, was very excited to see what he would do with Bucs because I rate him as one of the best coaches to work in SA.
The Turk had a fairly slow start but the league isn’t won in November so it all seemed to be moving in the right direction.
That is until one fateful night in Nelspruit when it all fell apart in the most dramatic way.
Leading 1-0 at half time against SuperSport United in November, rumour has it Ertugral went bos in the changing room and his players reacted in the worst way.
Pirates conceded six second half goals to suffer a 6-1 loss, one of the worst in their history.
Ertugral then promptly quit in his post-match interview, a story which made international news.
The Baroka FC goalkeeper became a worldwide sensation after he scored against Orlando Pirates.
With the last kick of the game and with Baroka trailing 1-0, Masuluke made a match-saving stop and then went up the other end for a corner.
The ball fell to the keeper on the edge of the area and what happened next made international headlines. Masuluke went for the overhead kick, connected and sent the ball whizzing into the back of the net. Goal of the season for sure.
The year ended in the most dramatic fashion for Bafana Bafana when head coach Shakes Mashaba was fired.
Mashaba’s rant after the win over Senegal in a World Cup qualifier was, unfortunately for the coach, caught on national TV and his unsavoury words against some of the Safa head honchos including Danny Jordaan cost him his job.
Bafana ended 2016 without a coach and without a spot at Afcon later this month.
The Kaizer Chiefs coach made headlines all year, whether his team won or lost.
Komphela became one of the most-used figures in memes around the country for all his fantastic post-match interview quotes.
A recent one and favourite on social media was his “a win has many fathers, a loss is an orphan” comment.
Even though people have started keeping dictionaries next to their TVs when Chiefs are playing, I know Komphela’s post-match must be the most-watched of them all.
In the middle of 2016, John Comitis returned to top flight football when he bought Mpumalanga Black Aces and relocated the club to the Mother City and renamed it Cape Town City FC.
Eric Tinkler was recruited to lead the new boys and that was the start of a new era in Cape football.
The Blue and Gold brigade have wreaked havoc in their first six months on the scene and ended 2016 already with one trophy in the bag, as they won the Telkom Knockout final in December.
They also ended the year joint top of the table with SuperSport United and Wits.