Johannesburg - Platinum Stars return to continental football on Saturday night for only the second time in the club’s history with a home fixture against a side that barely has a Wikipedia page - Uniao Desportiva do Songo from Mozambique.
“I know they came to South Africa to play a friendly against Orlando Pirates and lost 9-0, but we never got to see them as we were in Mpumalanga for our mid-season break,” said coach Cavin Johnson, who ushers Dikwena into the start of their CAF Confederation Cup journey, a less prestigious tournament than the Champions League they took part in almost a decade ago.
Having finished in third place in the Absa Premiership last season presented Dikwena with this rare opportunity to get a taste of continental football having missed out when they ended the campaign as runners-up in 2014.
Then, South African clubs were disadvantaged by their poor CAF ranking and the country only had one representative. But the ranking has since improved and Johnson’s side is one of four teams - Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United - in the Champions League and Confederation Cup,
respectively.
“I can’t speak for other clubs, but for us this tournament is important, even if we don’t go all the way. It’s not about the prize money, but seeing what the continent has to offer,” Johnson explained.
“Sundowns (Champions League winners in October last year) have made a huge impression. I know a lot of people are taken by the razzmatazz and the marketing of the European Champions League, but this is our version and has got to be taken seriously.”
Johnson has his heart in the right place, but the fact that Dikwena find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League means their participation in the Confederation Cup is a double-edged sword.
“I don’t have the luxury to be changing players around for this game
because of the numbers we have in the team. There’s a lot of experience, but at the same time there is not a lot of young players,” he said.
“Initially we wanted this to help the players with their hunger and determination for the game, but because of where we are in the league (fifth from bottom), it’s a little bit tough, especially when you are playing a team you know nothing about.”
The second leg is scheduled a week later at the Estadio do Zimpeto, where Bafana Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique in November, a few days after their victory over Senegal in 2018 World Cup qualifier.