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EPISODE 1 – EPISODE 2 – EPISODE 3 – EPISODE 4
Pre-season for my third season in the Football Manager Pentagon Challenge took an incredibly unexpected turn, and here’s why. It all started after a night at the pub, where I’d just finished watching the football. Tipsy, I made a decision that would alter the course of my save. We’ve all done it—loaded up Football Manager after a few pints, right? Bored with pre-season, I noticed that Orlando Pirates had just sacked their manager. Feeling wild, I thought, “Why not?” and applied for the job.
What I didn’t consider, however, was that the board of my current team could see when I applied for other jobs. The very next moment, I was staring at the screen in disbelief as my contract was terminated. The reason? Apparently, applying for another job was proof that I wasn’t fully committed. Mistakes were definitely made.
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Half of me was laughing at it, while the other half was in full-on panic mode. I was now unemployed, with my reputation seriously trailing behind the team I’d just left. What if I had to crawl back to a bottom-tier club? I had just thrown away a cushy job at one of the best teams in the league, and for what?
I anxiously awaited a response from Orlando Pirates. In the meantime, I applied to a few other clubs in Morocco and Tunisia, hoping I wouldn’t end up in the managerial bargain bin.
But then, a twist of fate: Orlando Pirates offered me the job! Despite my poor decision-making after a pint, I had landed a gig at Kaizer Chiefs’ fierce rivals. I’m pretty sure the ultras aren’t going to forgive me for this one.
As it turns out, this misstep might just be a stroke of genius. Orlando Pirates aren’t just any old team—they’re in the African Champions League and have a massive budget for this level. This could be my ticket to completing the African leg of the Pentagon Challenge. (Although, if we’re being honest, I probably won’t, but it’s nice to dream.)
Once in charge, I went straight to work in the transfer market with a simple plan: buy the best in the league. With plenty of cash to splash and the South African league’s players being relatively cheap, I grabbed three players from the media’s Dream XI and, naturally, an Argentine playmaker to spice things up.
This transfer strategy seemed to pay off, as our odds for the title began to shorten. Suddenly, it looked like it would be a two-horse race between us and Sundowns. Given that the top two teams qualify for the Champions League every season, this was perfect. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to win the African Champions League first time, so I need to give myself another shot.
So, the African Champions League, the reason why we’re all here. In the preliminary round, we were drawn against the brilliantly named Leones Vegetarianos, Equatorial Guinea’s answer to Forest Green Rovers—or so I imagined. They’re probably not very good, but I was still nervous for two reasons.
First, I was dealing with yet another injury crisis, which by now, I have to admit is a “me” problem. Secondly, and even more critical, all of my best players had been called up for international duty during the preliminary round. This left me with only twelve players to select. Yes, twelve.
As soon as Leones Vegetarianos touched the ball, however, I realized my fears were entirely unfounded. They weren’t much better than the amateur teams you set up friendlies with to boost morale. Despite having just one substitute, we breezed through both legs, winning 4-1 at home and 3-0 away. Job done.
My joy was short-lived as the first round draw came in. We were up against none other than ES Tunis, one of the tournament’s heavyweights. With one of the highest wage bills and a semi-final appearance last year, facing them felt like drawing Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16. Nobody wants that kind of headache so early on.
But there is a silver lining: if we can beat ES Tunis over two legs, we can beat anyone.
Stay tuned for the next article to find out how we fare against ES Tunis and whether we can keep progressing in the African Champions League. Also, a word to the authorities—can we please have a discussion about scheduling and national team coordination? I had no substitutes in the Champions League and was down to two in a league game. Despite this, we still won comfortably, which probably means I need a handicap at this point!
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