South African football clubs are waking up to the fact that money talks.
Just take GladAfrica Championship leaders Royal AM as an example.
Owned by Shauwn Mkhize, who is the star of Kwa MamMkhize, the club has a real reality show-vibe to it, with her son, Andile Mpisane, registered as both owner and player.
You can imagine the stories about the very same player telling the coach what to do, and when he wants to be brought into the game.
There’s a video that trended on Twitter of him coming on and basically doing whatever he wanted, dribbling around wearing the No. 10 jersey.
It’s a lot I tell you. I don’t remember reading about a player complaining about being ill-treated or hungry.
The club has even featured in the music video of Blaq Diamond’s 2020 festive smash hit SummerYoMuthi.
AmaZulu and Golden Arrows have put the spotlight on KZN, Maritzburg United look like they will survive, it might add a different type of flavour if Royal AM came up.
But Mkhize is going to have to continue putting up the cash and even more in the top flight.
Then we also have Nedbank Cup winners Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila who will represent Mzansi in the Caf Confederation Cup.
This very team looked like it wouldn’t make it past the festive break now has a national title.
Do you see where I’m going with this? These clubs have one thing in common – they paid the players. TTM’s problems ended when they started paying players more consistently.
It’s May mdlali, it’s gonna be off-season soon, players need bonuses to cover June and July.
Over to the big boys in the Champions League.
Our honour in the continental tournament is being defended by Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns’ success is at the back of new Caf president Patrice Motsepe’s commitment to paying players well so that they win trophies.
I joked with a friend of mine this past Sunday afternoon about Bra Patrice telling the country; “don’t let them tell you otherwise, money motivates players”.
And that’s really been the case at Sundowns as the years have gone by. They have had less and less player drama, everybody goes to Chloorkop knowing what they’re getting into.
There’s a lot of players, so you have to train hard and take your chance when you get it.
The side is also on a transitional period to figure out what’s next post-Pitso Mosimane and Hlompo Kekana.
After a few struggles when Bra Patrice took over, the team is now delivering trophies and now even boasts one of the heavy-loaded technical departments of coaches, analysts and other specialists.
So why is it then that the other big teams in the country failed at this? And by the other big teams, I mean Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Is it a case of holding on to old ways of being traditionally a big team that they’re even numb to the fact that they need to update their software?
They will not be mentioned amongst the champions at this year’s PSL awards.
They will have to clap and give a standing ovation as Sundowns lift the trophy and confetti is blasted on stage.
They will be clapping for TTM who have won the right to represent the country at continental level because they won the confederation title.
TTM is a few months old guys, cement hasn’t even dried on their clubhouse after purchasing the status of Wits.
Pirates will collect the MTN8 trophy, which is more of a consolation trophy but means they might be rewarded with a club awards ceremony. Bucs chairman Irvin Khoza doesn’t play mdlali, no trophies, no awards...
Let’s hope the alarm goes off sooner rather than later.