EDITORIAL | Trophy for Chiefs to be celebrated, but they have a long road to reclaim former glory

There was a time, not long ago, when any side denying Kaizer Chiefs a trophy would jokingly be thanked for “saving the country”.

This was partly a jibe at Amakhosi’s fans being supposedly among the loudest to crow when their side lifted silverware. It was also partly due to when a glamour side — such as Manchester United or latterly Manchester City — that historically has swept trophies, is denied one, all other supporters tend to take some perverse pleasure in it.

Over the past 10 agonising years, Chiefs’ barren spell — ended somewhat fittingly a day after going to a decade without silverware by beating, fittingly again, arch-foes Orlando Pirates 2-1 in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final — had become so cringeworthy, only the most hardcore haters could begrudge them the success.

Kaizer Chiefs are a national institution. They are a South African marvel and source of pride.

So are the other two ‘big three’ teams, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. The Buccaneers’ history is longer, more involved, and arguably more fascinating. They are also a giant in the name of football, steeped in folklore — a brand that attracts global interest. Downs’ history is shorter, though also intriguing.

Their successes since the mid-1980s have evolved to the Patrice Motsepe ownership era where the Brazilians fly the flag for the country internationally like no other club. More than any team Downs are responsible for dragging underachieving South African football and Bafana Bafana back to competitiveness in recent years.

But Chiefs’ stunning emergence as a breakaway from Pirates in 1969 and 1970, in a flash becoming an overnight success and within a few years the biggest club in the country in soccer’s version of what the Big Bang was to the universe, is a story like few others in global football. That story is the root of the mystique and aura that surrounds the famous gold and black jersey and a major reason even as they have floundered for a decade, they have kept most of their support and have the biggest fan base in the country, Southern Africa and one of the biggest in Africa.

So the trophy is welcome to most who have the fortunes of South African football at heart, even though many supporters of rival sides would never acknowledge that.

Their previous longest in their proud 52-year history was a season. That says much of the hole the club’s management, through poor decision-making and lack of ambition in coaching appointments and signings, have let the club fall into

But the road back for Amakhosi remains long.

Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi arrived with some fanfare at the start of the 2024-25 season with his expensive technical staff having achieved promising results in Tanzania and Morocco.

Even with Saturday’s trophy and Nabi’s stress on rebuilding in 2024-25, it has mostly been a poor season, especially considering the decent signings that were made. Chiefs have a big decision pending — whether Nabi will remain.

They remain far behind Sundowns and Pirates in transfer market ambition. Ninth place in the Betway Premiership with two games to play, in danger of not making the top eight and even possibly placing lower than last campaign’s worst-ever 10th. That is far too low for a side that invested fairly heavily in players and coaches ahead of the season.

Before Saturday May 11, they last lifted silverware when they celebrated winning the 2014-15 Premiership under Stuart Baxter with a 2-0 away win against Chippa United on May 10 2015.

They did avoid the embarrassment of going to 10 seasons without silverware. Their previous longest in their proud 52-year history was a season. That says much of the hole the club’s management, through poor decision-making and lack of ambition in coaching appointments and signings, have let the club fall into. It will take more than a single trophy to help Chiefs climb out of it and become genuinely competitive again, let alone reclaim former glory.

For now, though, their fans and the country can celebrate another trophy — finally — to add to that packed cabinet at the Chiefs Village in Naturena again.