Kaizer Chiefs have paid glowing tributes to the celebrated former South Africa President
Kaizer Chiefs have paid glowing tribute to South Africa’s iconic President Nelson Mandela, who had a special bond with the club.
As the world commemorates Nelson Mandela Day by performing 67 minutes of good deeds, Amakhosi remembered a moment 22 years ago when Madiba opened the Chiefs Village and instantly fell in love with the Glamour Boys.
“He supported all the football clubs but had a special love for Chiefs. He would call me to wish us good luck on the eve of the Derbies against Orlando Pirates and major cup finals,” Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung shared in his thoughts on the club's history.
‘Madiba Magic’ rubbed on Chiefs who won back-to-back titles
The ‘Madiba Magic’ rubbed off on the Glamour Boys who, under the guidance of coach Ted Dumitru, finally broke Chiefs’ 12-year league title drought in 2003/04 before defending their title the following season.
“We had a great defensive record for the 2003-04 season, only conceding 11 goals in 30 matches,” remembered Cyril Nzama, part of that strong defence that also included the likes of Patrick Mabedi, Fabian McCarthy, Derek Spencer and David Kannemeyer, who jealously guarded the goal of Chiefs keepers Brian Baloyi and Rowen Fernandez in that championship winning season.
Amakhosi need another source of motivation given current woes
“As they say, ‘strikers will win you games, but defenders will win you the league’. There was a great understanding about us, and we often won games 1-0. We had a great team spirit, with players willing to fight for each other,” added Nzama.
The 2003-04 season started off with the club going to the Peace Cup in South Korea, playing against France’s Olympique Lyon, Korea’s Seongman Ilhwa and Turkey’s Besiktas, as Chiefs’ prestige continued to grow on the international stage.
Mandela certainly played a part in inspiring Amakhosi to success at the start of the millennium but they seem to have lost their motivation in recent years, given their last trophy was won in 2015.
