Chiefs in Africa
Whatever the outcome of the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League season, currently in a Coronavirus-induced hiatus, the Soweto giants are certain to be back in African club competition, but will certainly not be novices. The club already has one continental title under their belt, having claimed the 2001 African Cup Winners’ Cup trophy. It was a trophy that also led them to being named as the continent’s best team at the first Confederation of African Football awards. Amakhosi were also the first local team to compete in Africa’s top club event, representing the country in 1993 when South Africa was allowed to compete after the end of the sports boycott. Amakhosi made an immediate impression in the old Champions Cup and were only narrowly eliminated on the away goals rule by Egyptian club Zamalek, who went on to win the title that year. The tie against Zamalek is remembered more for the tackle that effectively ended the career of Chiefs’ top goal ace Shane MacGregor, whose form never recovered after the knee injury he sustained in the first leg.
The Naturena-based outfit’s first goal in African competition was scored by Eric September when the team played in Gaborone in front of a packed house at Botswana’s National Stadium in their preliminary round first leg tie on February 7, 1993. Chiefs beat Extension Gunners from Lobatse 1-0 with a team that also included Neil Tovey, Doctor Khumalo, Lucas Radebe and Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse. Amakhosi got five in the return leg and then scored five away from home in the next round to easily dispose of Kivoyu Sports of Rwanda.But in the second round, a 2-1 win at the Rand Stadium in the first leg was cancelled out by a 0-1 defeat in Cairo, which meant Chiefs had to bow out on the away goals rule.
It was seven years before the Glamour Boys participated in African club competition again, turning down the opportunity because of concerns over the high costs of travelling the continent.
But in 2000, they entered the CAF Cup and were one of the early favourites, but were stung by a goal from Harry Milanzi (later Lamontville Golden Arrows) for Nchanga Rangers and went out early on in the competition. Then came the fabled run to glory in the 2001 Cup Winners’ Cup with coach Muhsin Ertugral having to juggle a threadbare squad because of the inconsistencies of CAF’s policies of registering players for the tournament. Chiefs scored some remarkable wins over teams like Club Africain (Tunisia) and Ismaili (Egypt), ironically which have both since been coached by Ertugral. In the final, there was a 2-1 aggregate win over InterClube of Angola, with the winning goal coming from Patrick Mabedi’s late penalty at a jubilant Ellis Park.
Chiefs were denied the chance to defend their title in 2002 when CAF kicked them out of the tournament. They had requested a postponement of their first round match in Madagascar because of the civil war on the island and the infrequent flight connections, but CAF would not budge and the club had no option but to miss their scheduled game. Chiefs returned then in 2005 and have played in four separate Champions League campaigns since, without getting through to the group phase. That is obviously now the next frontier for the club to try and conquer. ❐