The MTN8 will mark the start of a chapter that could define South African football

The start of the domestic season this weekend is set to mark the first step of what will either be a smooth, bumpy or rollercoaster ride for football lovers in the next six months.

The MTN8 will serve as the curtain raiser of the season, with the Top 8 teams from the Betway Premiership last season battling it out for the most lucrative cup competition.

All eyes will be on Orlando Pirates' new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou to steer his troops to a record-extending fourth MTN8 title in a row.

And should he be able to achieve that feat, he could quickly endear himself to ‘The Ghost’, and make them believe that he could be their messiah.

Pirates’ fans have been yearning for someone who’ll come and finally deliver them to the promised land - the Premiership title - after a 13-year drought, with no luck.

Mamelodi Sundowns have been the champions of the land for the last eight years so much so that they’ve now set their targets on their main prize - the CAF Champions League.

But such is the winning mentality of this season, they’ll not only focus on dominating Africa and let the other 15 teams walk all over them in the league. No!

They want to master the art of dominating across boards, especially after coming close to winning both titles last season, only to lose in the Champions League final to Pyramids.

Sundowns want to grow after winning only the league title season in and season out, but they know the greatest domestic honour a team can get is being hailed as the king of the land.

The Brazilians, to their advantage, also have enough depth at their disposal to compete for all trophies up for grabs, including the domestic cup competitions.

So if Pirates do not only come out of the blocks in the MTN8, Sundowns will surely be ready to flex their muscles in the competition and go all the way.

The MTN8 will be followed by the Carling Knockout - a competition that both Pirates and Sundowns will also want to make amends in.

Since its inception two seasons ago, Pirates have never won the Carling Knockout and Sundowns lost in the final to the new kids on the blocks Magesi last season.

A strong start and progression into the season from the two outfits, and others, will also augur well for Bafana Bafana as they’ll have a challenging season half of the year.

Bafana could take a step closer to securing their ticket for the 2026 Fifa World Cup if they beat Lesotho and Nigeria in their two qualifiers next month.

They are currently top of Group C with 13 points, eight ahead of the second-placed Rwanda after six rounds of matches.

So, wins over Likuena and the Super Eagles, will see them amass 18 points if Safa get away with fielding Teboho Mokwena who was suspended in the first round against Lesotho. 

"You see, there’s a general belief, including from yours truly, that whatever happens, by the time Bafana plays in Acon in December, they will have qualified for the global event.

Bafana have grown in leaps and bounds over the years as they also qualified for the continental showpiece in Morocco without a loss.

It was a historic qualification across all boards as Bafana have previously struggled to qualify for back-to-back Afcon finals.

Broos has praised the work ethic of his players, and support that the team continues to get with every passing game on home soil.

Furthermore, he has lauded the impact the players of the PSL teams which compete on the continent, Sundowns, Pirates and Stellenbosch, have had on Bafana.

And so, as the PSL season begins this weekend, players must know that they are starting a journey that can shape their careers, clubs, the league, and national team in the next six months.

Sure, football is fickle at the top, and it might not always be a smooth ride, but one can only hope that there'll be fewer potholes and disturbances, and enhanced seamless drives to the promised lands.