THIS weekend sees the start of the Carling Knockout Cup, and with that, another round of meme-filled banter dedicated to laugh-out-loud Kaizer Chiefs’ failure to lift silverware for almost a decade.
Here, Malibongwe Mdletshe looks at five key talking points ahead of the cup weekend, with Chiefs’ attempt to give their chairman Kaizer Motaung a worthy 80th birthday present topping the list.
Will Motaung’s 80th birthday spur Chiefs on to cup glory?
To be precise, Chiefs last lifted knockout cup silverware a decade ago with the 2014 MTN8, and the league title in the 2014/2015 season.
As the banter-boys would have it, social media is abuzz with memes of nine-year-olds “who, in their lifetime, have never seen Chiefs lift a major cup”.
Having not featured in the MTN8 earlier in the season after finishing out of the top eight teams last season, everyone at Chiefs has for long enough time been well aware that the Carling Knockout will be their only attempt to stop their trophy drought to become a full 10 years.
If coach Nasreddine Nabi and his lads needed any reminder or some fuel to launch their cup quest, it cannot get any bigger than their chairman Kaizer ‘Chincha Guluva’ Motaung’s 80th birthday celebrations as he joined the octogenarians yesterday.
Today is the day, the day to celebrate and honour an ICON, our Chairman, our Father.
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) October 16, 2024
Few words can describe the magnitude of this day, few words can describe the MAN himself.
He is the powerhouse behind the biggest sporting brand in S.A. history, the stability of the… pic.twitter.com/NH5DI6U0oS
Chiefs go to SuperSport United on Saturday night for the Carling Knockout round of 16, for what will be another special test for Nabi against a former coach of the Glamour Boys, Gavin Hunt.
Orlando Pirates to assert their dominance
As if trying to rub it in the noses of their neighbours Chiefs, not that they would let the chance pass them by, Pirates are on an opposite trajectory to the Amakhosi.
The Buccaneers are the only side this season that have won all their domestic matches – seven in total (four MTN8 outings and three league matches).
Riding high after their controversial MTN8 three-peat two weeks ago, their Carling Knockout match, welcoming new boys Magesi FC at Orlando Stadium, should be nothing short of a walkover.
A win on Saturday would ascertain Pirates as this season’s dominant side so far.
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Mamelodi Sundowns’ character to be tested
Although Sundowns have won their first three opening league matches under Manqoba Mngqithi, they faced warranted criticism after a double whacking by Stellenbosch FC in the semi-finals of the MTN8.
Even though the MTN8 has not been Sundowns’ favourite cup, another early exit in the second trophy of the season would really heap the pressure onto the Tshwane side.
Another hard session in the books, we're fully focused on Saturday! 🏋️♂️#Sundowns #CarlingKnockout pic.twitter.com/vetAkLjqdf
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) October 16, 2024
In Lamontville Golden Arrows, Mngqithi welcomes a side he has a lot of history with on Saturday night.
KZN sides look to end trophy drought
It has been 14 years since a KwaZulu-Natal team last won a trophy, and that was a Mngqithi-led Golden Arrows in 2009. The reunion is on Saturday night as Mngqithi will be on the Sundowns bench when Abafana Bes’thende invade Tshwane.
AmaZulu, who welcome defending champions Stellenbosch FC at Umlazi tomorrow night, are the last KZN side to reach a final – they lost the MTN8 to Pirates in 2022.
None of the Zulu kingdom’s sides made the MTN8 this season as they battled relegation last season. Royal AM, who are banned by Fifa from making any signings, will visit Cape Town City tomorrow night, with Richards Bay welcoming Sekhukhune at Umlazi on Sunday afternoon.
Stellies to miss the Rayners factor?
Stellenbosch FC were crowned the inaugural Carling Knockout champions last season and at the helm of their campaign was Bafana Bafana marksman, Iqraam Rayners, who is now on the books of Sundowns.
Rayners scooped four Player-of-the-Match awards in last season’s Carling. No player has done that in any cup recently.
New signing Lehlohonolo Mojela has so far filled the void left by Rayners as he contributed two goals en route to the MTN8 silver medal for the Cape side.
It's always competitive 😅 pic.twitter.com/8Lw7XFuhkU
— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) October 16, 2024
Coach Steve Barker will surely look to him to make up for the missing Rayners factor.
Another hot topic will be the referees’ mistakes after Abongile Tom’s tomfoolery in the MTN8 final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium recently. The question is, who is going to benefit from their mistakes this time around?