Two of the PSL’s biggest clubs - Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns - take centre stage in Wednesday’s Telkom Knockout Cup Final, scheduled for the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban (kick-off 6pm).
In fact, over the past season or two, it’s become a bit of a habit to see the names of Chiefs and Sundowns in a cup final. At the end of last season, Sundowns met Ajax Cape Town in the climax of the Nedbank Cup in Port Elizabeth, with the Pretoria club emerging victorious in a tense penalty shoot-out. And then, earlier this season, in the finale of the MTN8 competition, again in Port Elizabeth, Chiefs faced Ajax, with the Capetonians taking the glory.
Taking the above into consideration, the law of statistics would suggest that it’s Chiefs’ turn to accept the winners’ medal on the podium - but football, in all its cruel, often brutal, beauty, is not that simple. Success has to be earned - and both clubs are keenly aware of the need for sweat, focus and teamwork.
Chiefs, of course, have the added distraction of having one eye on their Cape Town trip this coming weekend.
The Joburg club will play the first of three “home” games in the Mother City when they take on Bidvest Wits at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (6pm).
Wits currently lead the PSL standings - and, if Chiefs have any designs on the league title, then this one is just as important a fixture as the Cup Final.
So, head of Wednesday’s finale, we take a closer look at where the keys to victory for the two clubs could come from:
THE COACHES
Steve Komphela (Kaizer Chiefs)
The garrulous 48-year-old is one of country’s brightest coaching prospects. A former Bafana Bafana captain during his playing days as a suave, smooth-passing central defender, Komphela has developed into a deep-thinking trainer. Having cut his coaching teeth at clubs like Manning Rangers, Free State Stars and Platinum Stars, it was a spell at unfashionable Maritzburg United last season that really brought his talent to the fore. He subsequently replaced the hugely successful Stuart Baxter at Chiefs - and, right from the get-go, there was speculation about whether he could fill the Brit’s big shoes. But there was no reason to doubt the capable Komphela… he has gone on to put his own stamp on the popular Soweto club. All he needs now is to win his first major trophy as a coach.
Pitso Mosimane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
The 51-year-old former Bafana Bafana coach needs no introduction. In any case, if you haven’t heard of him, he will most certainly make sure that you hear of him. Some may call Mosimane brash - but that’s just a sign of the super-confidence he has in his ability. Since arriving at Sundowns, he’s turned the team around, having already won the PSL title in 2013-14 and last season’s Nedbank Cup. Mosimane, rest assured, is looking for even more success.
THE MVPs
Erick Mathoho (Chiefs)
Appropriately nicknamed “Tower”, the 25-year-old central defender not only provides height and aerial power, but his dominant presence acts as a tower for others to look up to and emulate. Amakhosi sides of the past have always been strong in attack while lacking defensive resilience. Not so for the current Chiefs generation… With Mathoho’s dogged determination and immovable frame at the back, the Soweto club has a defender of stature, one who commands respect.
Ramahlwe Mphahlele (Sundowns)
The Pretoria club had a scare last week when influential skipper Mphahlele was injured at training. Indications, though, are that he will be ready for Wednesday’s Cup Final - and Mosimane will be breathing a sigh of relief. Mphahlele is a vital cog in the Sundowns machine. Capable of playing at right-back or in central defence, he oozes calm and efficiency. It is, in fact, quite a travesty that this talented young man has not, as yet, cracked the nod for a Bafana Bafana spot.
Cape Times