Johannesburg - The festive season is usually set aside for family time and celebrations, with loved ones reuniting after being apart for the better part of the year.
Kaizer Chiefs took a leaf from that book as they hosted a match between their Invitational team and SuperSport’s 2022 World Cup panel this week.
This match was hosted at Chiefs’ training headquarters in Naturena on Wednesday afternoon, when the hosts came out 7-4 victors.
The Chiefs team was mostly made up of their former players who hold positions at the club, including head coach Arthur Zwane.
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But with the SuperSport team including former players, there were former Chiefs players and legends in their variety set-up such as Stanton Fredericks.
This was also a day where Chiefs opened the doors of their facilities, which are described as "world class", to some of the best ex-players from Africa and abroad.
Asamoah Gyan, Africa’s highest scorer at the World Cup, was one of the notable figures that graced Chiefs’ plush corridors and training facilities.
It was not his first visit to a PSL side, having visited Mamelodi Sundowns this year while doing punditry work for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Ghanaian, who recently hogged headlines for his infamous penalty miss in the 2010 World Cup against Uruguay, was full of praise for Chiefs.
“It was a fun game to be part of and I was happy to score some goals. Some of the legends still have it. And it was great to be at the Village,” Gyan said.
“The club is one of the biggest clubs in Africa and the experience and the facilities were perfect. I wish Chiefs the best in the future and we thank them.”
SuperSport’s team was blessed with international experience in the form of Owen Hargreaves, who doubled as a player/coach on the day.
Hargreaves had a decorated career with both Manchester sides, United and City, and also played for German giants Bayern Munich.
“It was such a cool experience. (And) it was wicked seeing different guys from different generations showing off their skills," explained the 41-year-old.
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Hargreaves added: "We had a blast. The Kaizer Chiefs facility was amazing, I loved playing here.”
Meanwhile, Chiefs started their preparations for the second half of the season as the squad, without any notable absentees, returned to training.
Chiefs endured a roller-coaster outing in the first half of the season as they finished fourth with 21 points, seven behind leaders Sundowns.
Zwane's men will resume the season on New Year's Eve against Golden Arrows at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
IOL Sport