On The Mark: MTN8 should be celebrated and savoured!

The dramatic conclusion of the MTN8 at the weekend brought a successful end to the 49th edition of the Top Eight Cup, which has had a few tweaks and twists over the decades but remains a unique local concept.

There is no other country in the world with a similar competition and this is something for South African football to savour.

The concept of the top eight finishers from the previous league season participating in a start-of-the-new-season competition has been a fixture of the domestic football calendar since it was first introduced in 1972.

There were years when the absence of a sponsor saw the competition enjoy a brief hiatus, but it remains an event that is the perfect hors d’oeuvre to the start of the new season.

There have been occasional, and somewhat muted, calls to scrap it in these days of an increasingly demanding calendar of matches but that would be to throw away a unique slice of local footballing heritage.

Instead, it should be celebrated and savoured. Given that it is a competition for sides who have shown form in securing a top eight finish, it has also ensured some thrilling matchups over time.

Certainly, there was much anticipation ahead of last Saturday’s final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban but then Mother Nature came and rained down on the parade. Or to be more accurate, blew it away.

The powerful wind blowing straight down the stadium played havoc with the contest and means the spectacle was not as thrilling as had been predicted.

But a rousing atmosphere created by a capacity crowd went a long way to try and make up for a game of few opportunities. Sundowns had the better chances but inexplicably squandered them. Pirates held on doggedly and got their due rewards in the post-match penalty shootout.

Now we move happily onto the next one, 12 months from now when it will be a happy 50th birthday for the Top Eight … and many more returns.