Former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey has explained how pre-season training camps in Europe raise the bar for Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Betway Premiership giants returned to Europe to prepare for the upcoming 2026/27 season in which they will all be competing on the domestic and continental fronts. Chiefs are back from Spain, where they spent 10 days in the coastal city of Alicante.
They played their friendly matches at the Pinatar Arena Football Centre, drawing 1-1 with Scottish giants Rangers FC, before posting the same result against Saudi Pro League side Al Kholood. In wrapping up their camp, they lost 2-1 to La Liga outfit Elche CF and will be hoping for better fortunes in the new campaign after camping in the Netherlands last year.
Amakhosi’s Soweto rivals, Pirates, were also in Spain for the third year running, based at the world-class Marbella Football Centre. A 1-1 draw with Spanish Segunda Division side Córdoba CF and a 2-1 victory over Cádiz CF marked their opening two friendlies.
The Buccaneers then registered a 3-2 defeat by Saudi giants Al Ittihad before edging Las Palmas1-0. They then concluded their tour of Spain with a 1-0 defeat by another Saudi side, Neom SC.
African champions Sundowns are back in Austria for the second time, and they drew 1-1 with Bundesliga 2 side Hertha Berlin. They lost 2-0 to Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia on Friday before completing their schedule in Europe with a 1-1 draw against Algerian heavyweights MC Alger on Monday.
KAIZER CHIEFS, ORLANDO PIRATES, MAMELODI SUNDOWNS REAPING REWARDS OF EUROPE TRIPS
Speaking to FARPost, Tovey believes the overseas camps set the big three apart from the rest of the PSL teams. Pirates were crowned Betway Premiership champions last season, while Sundowns clinched the CAF Champions League title for the first time since 2016.
After two successive years of missing out on an MTN8 spot, Chiefs finished third in the league last season. It was their highest position since the 2029/20 term when they ended the campaign as runners-up to Masandawana.
Amakhosi are now back in the CAF Confederation Cup, where they will be hoping to do better than last season, when they could not get past the group stage.
“Going to Europe is a good idea by these teams. The matches they play there are very tough, and it’s giving them a good insight into the modern trends of football and what to expect. It’s what any coach needs to prepare his team for a season,” Tovey told FARPost.
A TREND KEEPING CHIEFS, PIRATES, SUNDOWNS IN STEP, ACCORDING TO NEIL TOVEY
A former Amakhosi captain explained how exactly the big three benefit from overseas camps, as other PSL teams lack resources for such preparations.
“Teams all over the world go away for pre-season, so what Chiefs, Sundowns and Pirates are doing is like catching up with the rest of the world. It is having a good effect even on our national team,” added Tovey. “Other teams in the PSL have to make do with the limited resources at their disposal. They simply can’t afford overseas tours.
Going to Europe exposes players to higher-quality opposition. It also opens the eyes of the players to how other players in other parts of the world go about their business because they’ll be playing against higher-calibre opposition.
“The weather is good in Europe, although I hear temperatures are quite high. But all the same, the players have access to world-class training facilities.
“It will give them an advantage. Even if they had prepared at home, they would still do well. That does not mean that they will not compete, but going to Europe gives them more advantage.”
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