There is a stark difference of opinion as to how Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns view their status in South African soccer: Chiefs claim the Brazilians are attempting to usurp their role of pre-eminence while Sundowns, for their part, insist they have already achieved this objective.
And Saturday night’s Telkom Knockout final at Loftus between the glamour clubs will go a long way to providing some answers — not only as to who will make off with the awesome R4,25-million winners’ prize, but also which club can claim bragging rights.
Certainly, in judging on results and performances alone — and perhaps in the quality of football as well — Sundowns have dominated Chiefs in the past two seasons, winning the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title in successive years while not losing a game to the Amakhosi during this period.
But when it comes to allegiance of the masses, it would seem Sundowns still have some way to go before matching their rivals.
And, perhaps, more significantly, Chiefs can boast that when it comes to cup finals, they have had an advantage over Sundowns on four successive occasions.
Yet it is all hypothetical according to down-to-earth Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral, who believes past statistics are best ignored.
”Last year when I coached Ajax,” says Ertugral, ”we secured a clean sweep of four successive victories against Sundowns. But whether this will help Chiefs beat Sundowns on Saturday, I have my doubts.”
What Ertugral is more adamant about is that Chiefs and Sundowns are two of the handful of teams in the PSL who can raise their standard to a truly professional level — with their match-up consequently providing the sponsors of the knockout event with what is an ideal final.
Evidence of this is the hasty manner in which tickets for Loftus sold out four days before Saturday’s game.
Having said this, neither team has performed at a consistently high level this season and are in need of a morale-boosting success to re-establish their shaky status.
Sundowns, according to coach Gordon Igesund, are boosted by being able to select what is virtually their strongest line-up for the first time this season, with only Dillon Sheppard a conspicuus absentee while recovering from a broken leg.
And, with players of the calibre of Surprise Moriri, Ezrom Nyandoro and, it would seem, Godfrey Sapula, Sundowns appear the favourites — particularly while recalling the stunning run-around they gave Chiefs on this same Loftus pitch last season. — Sapa