PRO PHILANI’S MZANSI WRAP: Kaizer Chiefs crash out of the Nedbank Cup

Aphumile AmaKhosi 

In 2021, Kaizer Chiefs crashed out in the first round of the Nedbank Cup, losing to Glad Africa Championship outfit, Richards Bay FC.

In 2022, call it a déjà vu if you like, AmaKhosi were knocked out of the same competition by 2019 champions, Tim Sukazi Galaxy.

Remember, it was the same Galaxy that defeated Chiefs in the 2019 final at the Moses Mabhida stadium courtesy of Zakhele Lepasa’s 90^th minute goal. In all fairness, Galaxy were all over Chiefs from the first minute.

Lindokuhle Mbatha, Bathusi Aubass & Ethan Brooks were in-charge in that midfield and controlled the pace of the game and the second balls until Augustine Kwem opened the scoring in the 54^th minute.

Galaxy kept the shape and resisted Chiefs’ all-out attack until the last minute to give their coach his first ever cup victory in South Africa.

This defeat meant Chiefs have now gone seven years without a major trophy, an unwanted record which was never heard of in Chiefs’ history. It also left Chiefs fans lamenting on Twitter spaces, blaming everyone at the club from chairman Kaizer Sr. to his management team, to media officer, to coach, and the players were not spared.

Some Chiefs fans believe football has left the club and are now merchandise sellers instead of rebuilding the core sense of their existence, which is football. The question now on everyone’s lips is, should Baxter be kept as head coach or should the Motaungs give him more time to turn the season around?

But playing one MTN8 match, one Nedbank Cup match, and 30 league games with neither CAF Champions League nor CAF Confederations Cup in their fixtures list is not Kaizer Chiefs’ known standards.

TS Galaxy will be joined by seven DStv premiership teams, four GladAfrica Championship teams, four ABC Motsepe sides. The cup of dreams is certainly living up to its name.