Everything you need to know about one of the greatest teams in South Africa.
Kaizer Chiefs are arguably the biggest team in South Africa with a massive following estimated to be around 16 million.
They initially relied on local talents to build the team which made them popular in Soweto where they are rivaled by Orlando Pirates.
Who are Kaizer Chiefs?
Kaizer Chiefs have been in existence since January 1970 when they were founded by Kaizer Motaung, commonly referred to as Chincha Guluva, after his return from the United States.
The now 79-year-old played as a striker for the then-North American Soccer League outfit Atlanta Chiefs. It explains where he got the name Chiefs from.
The late Gilbert Sekgabi, Ewert ‘The Lip' Nene, Rabelani Jan Mofokeng, China Ngima, and Clarence Mlokoti were the other notable figures who played a crucial role in the formation of the team.
Chiefs are the most supported club in Mzansi and Bucs, a team Motaung senior played for in his early days, are their main rivals.
After their abrupt withdrawal from the Caf Confederation Cup in 2005, they were banned from taking part in all the Caf competitions until 2009.
It was the second time they had been penalized by the continent's Football Governing Body for refusing to be involved in the tournament.
Interestingly, the Soweto giants inspired a British indie rock/britpop band to be renamed Kaiser Chiefs. Their members were supporting Leeds United, a team former Kaizer Chiefs defender Lucas Radebe was captaining.
Nicknames
Kaizer Chiefs are also called Amakhosi, a Zulu word meaning “Kings” or “Chiefs”. They are also known as Abafana bokuthula noxolo which can be loosely translated to The Boys of Love and Peace.
Other nicknames are The Glamour Boys and The Phefeni Boys.
Achievements – South Africa's most successful club?
Amakhosi have won 13 South African top-flight football titles in which four have been in the Premier Soccer League era. In total, the Glamour Boys have won 42 Cups, an achievement that is unmatched by any team in the country.
In the 2001/02 campaign, they won an unprecedented four major trophies in as many months; they started with the Vodacom Challenge, followed it up with the Top Eight crown, Coca-Cola Cup, and finally the African Cup Winners' Cup.
Chiefs were named the 2001 Caf Club of the Year. In the 2003/04 campaign, Amakhosi started by being rewarded the Fair Play Award at the Peace Cup in South Korea. In the same year, they won their maiden PSL title for the first time in the club's history.
Their worst run in the PSL was the 2013/14 edition when they finished 10th on the table under the then interim coach Cavin Johnson.
Amakhosi Recent Achievements
It is a shame that Kaizer Chiefs have not won anything for the last nine seasons. It explains why they recently appointed coach Nasreddine Nabi to help them end the drought.
Chiefs Home Ground?
Currently, the Glamour Boys have the FNB Stadium as their primary venue for home games. However, this season, they will also use the Moses Mabhida Stadium and the New Peter Mokaba Stadium for some matches.
The FNB is the largest stadium in Africa with a capacity of 97,736.
Chiefs Legends
There have been some great talents that have worn the Black and Gold but a few left a great mark.
Ace Khuse, the late Ryder Mofokeng, Lucas Radebe, Neil Tovey, Itumeleng Khune, Doctor Khumalo, Teenage Dladla, Kaizer Motaung, John Moshoeu, and Ace Ntsoelengoe are some of the players whose names will forever remain in the club's wall of fame.
Notable Former Kaizer Chiefs Coaches:
The most successful coach in Kaizer Chiefs' history is widely considered to be the late Ted Dumitru. During his tenure, Dumitru led the team to multiple trophies, including back-to-back league titles and consecutive Coca Cola Cup titles.
Another notable coach is Stuart Baxter, who also had a highly successful period with Kaizer Chiefs, winning two league titles and several domestic cups during his time with the club
- Thomas Johnson (1970–1971)
- Eddie Lewis (1971–1973)
- Joe Frickleton (1974–1976)
- Mario Tuani (1977–1978)
- Eddie Lewis (1978–1979)
- Joe Frickleton (1980–1981)
- Ted Dumitru (1985–1988, 2003–2005)
- Jeff Butler (1988–1989, 1991–1992, 1994–1995)
- Philippe Troussier (1993–1994)
- Pavle Dolezar (1997–1999)
- Muhsin Ertugral (1999–2003, 2007–2009)
- Ernst Middendorp (2005–2007, 2018–2020)
- Vladimir Vermezović (2009–2012)
- Stuart Baxter (2012–2015, 2021)
- Steve Komphela (2015–2018)
- Giovanni Solinas (2018)
- Gavin Hunt (2020–2021)
- Arthur Zwane (2022–2023)
- Nasreddine Nabi (2023–Present)
