Hopefully in 2022, Cape top-flight football will come of age, because this ain’t it.
With 2021 behind us, I’m glad that we’re done with another year of mixed results, false dawns and some truly unprofessional shenanigans.
Let’s start off with the really bad news at Cape Town City.
We’ve become accustomed to seeing the Citizens as the standard bearers of the local scene.
Looking smart in their brilliant blue-and-gold kits or a duidelike away shirt to jak, City definitely look the part.
They have the players, but they just can’t get it together.
And with the league going into what is effectively a mid-season recess, they look to be in the position they were in at the end of last year.
In fact, they are worse off than they were after 16 games.
Last time this year, they were sixth under Jan Olde Riekerink. This year, they are ninth under new boss Eric Tinkler.
And the same old problems persist - they may play beautiful football, but they have a knack of conceding goals out of nowhere.
City have conceded fewer than goals at this stage of the season - 19 to 24. But when you look at goals scored - 25 to 17 - City have a negative goal difference.
Tinkler came in to replace Riekerink knowing confident of setting things right in the team’s defensive organisation.
But after Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat at SuperSport United, the former Bafana Bafana hardman might think that all his work has been verniet.
And he admitted as much, saying: “We have to stop conceding goals the way we’ve been conceding goals.
“That’s something we have to rectify. It’s a problem that persisted last season and now it’s persisting again this season.
“Defensively, we have to figure out what the real issue is there.
“I thought it was a tactical problem. We worked on it extensively during pre-season.
“And it hasn’t really… well it’s rearing its ugly face again.”
With the break to reflect on his team’s stagnation, I hope Tink can actually enjoy his Christmas.
As if defensive woes weren’t even to make City fans think they are Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day, how must losing Surprise Ralani to Mamelodi Sundowns feel?
Ralani leaves as the club’s record goalscorer, just like Kermit Erasmus did at the start of last season.
I get that City want to compete with the big boys, but selling to the Gauteng giants isn’t a good look, whether it makes financial sense or not.
Anyway, from City’s false dawn to Stellenbosch’s maturing vintage.
Steve Barker’s side finished last season just escaping relegation.
But following a 1-0 win away at TS Galaxy on Wednesday, the Bolanders were in second place on the PSL log.
Stellies have improved in virtually every department since the start of the season - scoring as many points at the halfway mark of the current campaign as their full total last time out.
Having started the term with an 11-match unbeaten run, they have managed to get out of a seven-match winless run with back-to-back wins to look forward to the nuwe jaar with renewed hope.
After the year that they had, Barker had nothing but praise for his bubbly team, saying: “We can be really proud of finishing the year in the position that we’re in.
“With all the difficulties we’ve had, it’s a relief for me, the club and the players, and at the same, pride.”
“We are moving in the right direction.”
That sums it up perfectly. Manne like Ashley de Preez have improved so dramatically, that if he stays on the same trajectory he will be challenging for the PSL’s top goalscorer award next season.
Junior Mendieta and Stanley Dimgba have been right up with the best playmakers in the league, with chances created.
And Barker continues to blood homegrown talents, with Antonio van Wijk becoming the latest laaitie to join Jayden Adams, Roy-Keane Avontuur, Deano van Rooyen in the first team.
Also recruitment has been one of their strong suites.
They keep on unearthing gems on the continent and will probably be actively scouting at Afcon next month. And I hear they are tracking another South American to bolster their squad during the break.
After three years in the top flight, a top-eight finish looks a genuine prospect - something the club will really toast.
But with the Nedbank Cup still coming up this season, it’s something our Cape club have to compete for.