Chiefs want cup kings label back
KAIZER Chiefs were once the cup kings of South African football but it seems every season they are relinquishing that tag to Mamelodi Sundowns.
It has been four years since the once mighty Amakhosi laid their hands on a trophy in the league. Former midfielder at the club, Josta ‘JD’ Dladla, believes that Chiefs must pick themselves up and begin to restore their reputation by winning the Carling Black Label Cup on July 27 at FNB Stadium.
Of course, the one-match pre-season competition between Amakhosi and their rivals Orlando Pirates does not enjoy the same respect as the other tournaments that involve all the teams.
“On the 27th of July, it will be all about what the fans want. The players have to listen to what the supporters want,” Dladla told Independent Media journalists in Durban on Friday.
“No Chiefs fan wants to lose against Pirates. We all know that for us to fix the pride, it has to start with Pirates. It is the same thing with Pirates, they don’t want to lose against Chiefs. Pirates have the upper hand because they they had a good season. We are going into this game as underdogs.”
Like any other derby, the Carling Black Label Cup is all about the bragging rights. The Buccaneers dominated the Soweto Derby last season. They defeated Chiefs 2-1 and shared the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate in the second round of the league.
The pre-season derby also gives coaches a chance to experiment with their new signings in a competitive match. Amakhosi have recently been blamed for not signing big name players to boost their squad. But it appears the Naturena side were quietly scouting for arsenal beyond South Africa’s borders. In the last few weeks they have captured the signatures of Kearyn Baccus (Australia), Lazarus Nkambole (Zambia) James Kotei (Ghana) and Samir Nurkovic from Serbia.
Meanwhile, former Pirates marksman Phumuzho Manenzhe, who was also on the Carling Black Label promotion tour with Dladla, has challenged Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic to deliver the goods for the club.
“If you remember correctly, Pirates won the treble with Ruud Kroll last season.
“The management has done everything in their power to show how much they want success. It is all up to Micho and his technical team to win trophies. They have to start with the Carling Black Label Cup. They have signed good quality players,” he said.
Manenzhe warned the Buccaneers not to take the off-form Chiefs for granted: “They need to respect Chiefs; they’ve been the laughing stock in the last few seasons and that makes them more dangerous. And form doesn’t count in the derby matches.”
Bucs have beefed up their squad with the services of Gabadinho Mhango, Fortune Makaringe, Siphesihle Ndlovu, Tshegofatso Mabasa, Bongani Sami, Kabelo Dlamini and Joris Dell.