KAIZER Chiefs have stepped up their pace and took full honours in the MTN8 finals.
AmaKhosi beat near neighbours Orlando Pirates 1-0 to bring back the trophy to the South.
The two Southern-based teams met over the weekend of September 20 in front of a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to dish out a superb display of soccer to their fans.
Chiefs’ defender Tefu Mashamaite scored the goal that decided the title when he headed in after 28 minutes. Both teams knew that only one goal will determine the outcome of this prestigious match.
“We’re still not the perfect team,” said Head coach Stuart Baxter. But he praised goalkeeper Brilliant Khuzwayo for his Man of the Match performance. “I said before the game, you don’t have your Lamborghini, so you got to get your Porsche out, and he played that way. He deserves his chance, Itu is a fine goalkeeper and we miss him, but when Brilliant and Reyaad Pieterse are called upon they do their job, and I’m very pleased for him.”
“I said to my technical team before the game, ‘I feel that whoever scores first will win the game.’ Unfortunately we conceded the first goal, and we pushed hard but I can’t say my players tried; they pushed, they showed character, and thanks to Khuzwayo we lost the game,” said Head coach of Orlando Pirates, Vladimir Vermezovic.
“Football is a game of moments, and nothing is over just with one win or loss. We will regroup and move forward from here. Anything is possible when you are in a final. There are many more finals. So, this is not the end for us. At the end of the day, Chiefs got an opportunity – I don’t think my players are scared of final games. I hope we are going to reach another final very soon, and we’ll see.”
Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune missed the match due to injury, but the support from him was always there, according to the young star goalkeeper from Kiaer Chiefs Village, Khuzwayo. “I’d like to thank my family, my brothers, my friends, everyone who believed in me; Itumeleng Khune, he was motivating me all the time since I came to Kaizer Chiefs; he’s just an inspiration to me. I’d like to thank the technical team, the players, the gardeners, everyone who made this a success for us. It means everything to me, having to go onto the field and represent yourself, represent your soul and how you feel inside. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Injured Khune said that Saturday’s win was for the fans, “They’ve been with us through thick and thin. Last season we made a promise to them, because we didn’t win any silverware, at the beginning of this tournament I made a promise to them that we will try by all means to sweep everything on offer, and this is the beginning of good things to come.”
Saturday’s loss means Pirates hold the unwanted distinction of ending runners-up the most times, a total of six. They were also silver medal winners in 1974, 1979, 1980, 2007 and 2013. Chiefs have ended as bridesmaids on five occasions, while Mamelodi Sundowns are level with Amakhosi.
Chiefs increased their record of tournament wins to 15 after their triumph on Saturday. That puts them six clear of Pirates on the overall table, but the Buccaneers have won the competition under its current name twice, the same number as their Southern counterparts.
