Amakhosi ajabulile as they roar to first cup triumph in 10 years

News24

10-05-2025

Once dubbed the cup kings of local football, this is Kaizer Chiefs first trophy in exactly 10 years.
The last time Chiefs won a trophy was on 9 May 2015 when they lifted the premiership title.
Captain Yusuf Maart scored the winning goal, becoming the second Chiefs skipper to lift a trophy since Tefo Mashamaite in 2015.
Long at last, Kaizer Chiefs are champions again!
Following last week's Soweto derby league defeat to Orlando Pirates, Chiefs turned the tables on their township rivals in a derby many would argue mattered the most.
Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart scored the winning goal as Amakhosi beat Pirates 2-1 in Durban at a packed Moses Mabhida on Saturday.
For a second successive weekend, Chiefs scored early in the Soweto derby.
This time they made it count after Pirates levelled matters and threatened to again snatch a come-from-behind win.
Last Saturday, Chiefs let an eighth-minute lead slip as they lost 2-1 at FNB Stadium.
On Saturday, Gastón Sirino put Chiefs ahead from the penalty spot in the 10th minute to send the packed venue into a frenzy.
The penalty appeared to be a soft call from referee Masixole Bambiso, but the replays showed that it was the right decision.
This was after Pirates right-back Deano van Rooyen clipped Pule Mmodi's heels inside the box.
But the lead lasted just nine minutes as towering Pirates striker Evidence Makgopa put the Buccaneers back in the match with a headed goal at the far post from a Deon Hotto free kick.
Makgopa also scored the equalising goal in last weekend's derby before Relebohile Mofokeng, who was largely anonymous in the final, scored the winning goal.
Chiefs right-back Dillan Solomons, who had his hands full against Hotto, fouled Mofokeng near the box for the free kick that led to the equalising goal.
Chiefs cowered after conceding the goal, inviting pressure from Pirates, but the first half ended 1-1 as clear-cut scoring opportunities were few and far between.
HELTER-SKELTER SECOND HALF
The best chance of the second half went to Mmodi, who rattled the post in the 77th minute.
But Chiefs spectacularly regained their lead through their leader in the 79th minute, when Maart volleyed past Pirates keeper Sipho Chaine with his weaker left foot, following good work from substitutes Ashley du Preez and Mduduzi Shabalala.
Mostly vilified for his often-costly mistakes and uninspiring performances, Maart will be remembered as the man who prevented Amakhosi from completing a 10th season without a trophy.
Maart is also the second captain after Tefo Mashamaite in 10 years to lead Chiefs to a cup final victory.
Chiefs controlled the game after regaining their lead, and it was only in the dying minutes that Pirates threatened to score.
For Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi, the cup win will probably buy him some time following a period during which his job came under jeopardy as the club continued to blow hot and cold.
The win will remind those who want him gone that his credentials are still intact, having arrived at the start of the current campaign highly rated.
While the cup win is a welcome relief, the Chiefs hierarchy will have a tough decision to make as plans for next season start in earnest.
The Tunisian will also go down in the history books as the coach who brought smiles back to millions of Chiefs supporters.
The last time Chiefs won a trophy was on 9 May 2015 when they lifted the premiership title.