Chiefs look unlikely to break drought
Local action should see TAB pools bloom
By Mark Gleeson
Having gone eight seasons without earning any silverware, Kaizer Chiefs begin yet another season with high hopes, but the odds look slightly stacked against them.
As they prepare to take on Chippa United in their first DStv Premiership game on Sunday, expectations for one of the country’s big guns are low with the appointment of an untested coach and underwhelming moves in the transfer window.
This has been exacerbated by mediocre results in their pre-season friendlies.
Mamelodi Sundowns long ago toppled Chiefs from their position as the dominant and most successful side in South African football but Chiefs fans continue to hope for a revival. Chiefs have by no means lacked in resources but seemingly have perfected the art of self-imploding with some bizarre managerial decisions.
This year, Chiefs have put their faith in Molefi Ntseki, who a decade ago was a youth coach at Bloemfontein Celtic. He worked his way from South Africa under-17 coach to a brief and unsuccessful spell as Bafana Bafana coach, getting the job when better candidates were not available.
Last season he was Chiefs’ technical director and, after the failure of the Artur Zwane experiment, now takes over. However, Sunday’s match against Chippa at the Moses Mabhida Stadium will be Ntseki’s first as a club coach.
It hardly augers well for Chiefs’ hopes this season and Chippa will be fancying their chances of an upset start.
Orlando Pirates, on the other hand, look the one side who are capable of ending Sundowns’ mastery. Runners-up last season and with two cup trophies won, they had a successful campaign under Spanish coach Jose Riveiro and with a beefed-up squad he is now under pressure to make the step up.
Pirates are away tomorrow night at Stellenbosch, who have also been busy in the transfer market but sold Junior Mendieta to Sundowns and Olwethu Makhanya to Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.
Sundowns get their campaign underway tonight away against Sekhukhune United, chasing down a seventh successive title. Sundowns take into the game at the Peter Mokaba Stadium an unbeaten record in their past 15 opening games of the season, stretching back to 2007.
They have won 10 times and drawn five of their first outings of a new league season. In the past four season openers, they have won without conceding a goal, including an emphatic 3-0 victory at Soccer City over Chiefs in 2020 which marks their best start to a new campaign.