In general, my view about football – and any competitive sport actually – has always been that until you have a trophy to show for your efforts, you cannot deem yourself successful.
For many years I had a sort of run-in with Jomo Sono as I questioned those who called on him to lead Bafana Bafana.
I argued that he had not won any trophies as a coach and was thus not good enough to be given such an important post.
In his inimitable ways, Bra J was very quick to ask me what my views about him were the moment he captured his maiden trophy as coach.
That the currency of success is trophies is a view shared by many.
I remember how some colleagues in the office lamented the fact that Gavin Hunt and later Roger de Sa won Coach of the Year despite their having not led their clubs to any silverware.
They argued that such an award should always be given to the coach who leads his team to the championship.
Fair enough!
And so it is that while everyone agrees that Orlando Pirates’ run in the CAF Confederation Cup is something to be celebrated, it will all amount to pretty much nothing if they do not capture the title.
Just ask De Sa!
Two years ago, the man who is currently in charge of Ajax Cape Town took the Buccaneers all the way to the final of the CAF Champions League where they lost to Al Ahly.
Granted people still refer to that run, but in the bigger scheme of things, it means nothing.
As Gordon Igesund loves to say, there’s no room for comment in the results column.
This much Pirates’ coach Eric Tinkler and his assistant Teboho Moloi will definitely be aware of and you can bet on them doing their utmost to ensure that Pirates beat Etoile du Sahel in the final to add the Confederation Cup trophy to the Champions League one from 1995 already in the cabinet.
The need to win a trophy to confirm success should, however, not be allowed to take away from the incredible feat Pirates achieved in beating Al Ahly in their own backyard on Sunday.
To come back from 2-0 down and win 4-3 against the continent’s most successful side is no small feat.
And with the rest of the country backing them, there is every reason to believe that Pirates can go on to top that with success in the final.
Anything less and they would have toiled in vain.
Such is the nature of sport – only winners are remembered and celebrated. - The Star