Andrew Muchineripi : Soccer
The first final of the richest domestic club competition in African soccer demands worthy participants, and Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns certainly fit the bill for the Rothmans Cup climax at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Sundowns lead the national championship by one point from Bush Bucks as the halfway mark approaches and Chiefs are comfortably positioned five points behind the pacesetters with one match in hand.
Bafana Bafana squad members past and present abound with Chiefs boasting Brian Baloyi, Sizwe Motaung, Neil Tovey, Jacob Tshisevhe, Doctor Khumalo, Ace Khuse, Thabo Mooki and Mark Williams. The Brazilians have an equally impressive selection, including John Tlale, Joas Magolego, Isaac Shai, Augustine Makalakalane, Alex Bapela, Eric Ramasike, Joel Masilela and Daniel Mudau.
There is also the inevitable international flavour with Muisa Ajao of Nigeria and Robson Muchichwa and Liberty Masunda of Zimbabwe contenders for places in the Amakhosi line-up.
A Nigerian presence also exists at Sundowns with striker Raphael Chukwu recovered from injury and back in scoring form while Roger Feutmba of Cameroon recently returned to the club and swiftly regained his place. The foreign presence does not end there as Chiefs’ charismatic coach Paul Dolezar hails from the former Yugoslavia while opposite number Ted Dumitru is Romanian by birth.
Chiefs enter the match as marginal favourites to collect their first major trophy since defeating Sundowns 3-2 in a 1994 BP Top 8 final that featured some of the players in action this weekend. Both clubs have promised much but achieved relatively little since then, despite many changes in coaches and playing personnel, and the desire to end the barren spells can only be enhanced by the R1-million first prize.
While some of the football en route to the decider has scarcely matched the “unbelievable” tag attached to the competition, it is truly staggering that such a prize is on offer to South African clubs. Just two seasons ago the team winning the 34-match national championship collected about R200 000, now a side winning seven matches gets five times more. That is the kind of inflation any club can live with.
With Chiefs and Sundowns being promised much of the money, there is unlikely to be a shortage of commitment and the biggest worry may be that the fear of losing and receiving R600 000 less will turn the match into a sterile, defensive struggle.
Unlike the four previous rounds, the final goes into 30 minutes extra time should the teams be level after normal time and if deadlock still prevails, a replay is set for next Wednesday evening at the same venue.
Chiefs have been slightly more impressive en route to Soccer City, easily eliminating Bloemfontein Celtic and Manning Rangers while overcoming dogged resistance from Wits University in the quarter-finals.
Sundowns qualified despite being held at home by QwaQwa Stars, Amazulu and Orlando Pirates with one-goal away victories taking them over the first two hurdles while the semi-final clash with the Buccaneers was settled by the away-goal rule.
Chiefs have struck 11 goals with eight players involved led by Bafana Bafana striker Mark Williams with three goals and Muchichwa with two. The danger comes from all areas as three defenders scored in the Durban rout of Rangers.
Sundowns managed just six goals with no player scoring more than once and no goal more important than the late equaliser by Page Mahlangu in a 2-2 draw with Pirates at FNB Stadium.
While Amakhosi sometimes pelt various missiles at Dolezar, the diminutive coach has guided his team to a 14-match unbeaten run, including seven blank sheets by Baloyi, the man responsible for the “bleached blond” craze gripping local football.
The Brazilians suffered defeat just twice in 21 league and cup matches, understandably at Rangers and surprisingly at Vaal Professionals, where the old weakness of poor finishing haunted the Mamelodi outfit.
It is probably too much to expect a repeat of the BP Top 8 thriller and like so many finals a moment of magic or madness could determine who cries tears of joy and who sheds tears of sorrow. My view? Keep next Wednesday night free on your diary!