Chiefs’ Golden Jubilee week was one to remember
KAIZER Chiefs could not have asked for a better Golden Jubilee week than the one they’ve just had.
Two home wins, both by 3-0 scores, have helped Amakhosi cement their position atop the 16-team Absa Premiership table to set themselves up to win the league title.
There is a long way still to go, Chiefs being left with 14 matches in the campaign. But they enjoy a comfortable nine-point lead and, given their form from the start of the season, the faithful supporters of local football’s Glamour Boys have good reason to be hopeful.
Granted, there was a bit of a wobble that gave the chasing pack hope when Chiefs drew with Maritzburg United and then lost to SuperSport United. Those stutters robbed them of the healthy lead that had many already declaring them champions-elect.
But their 50th anniversary week – Amakhosi were formed on January 7 in 1970 – brought out the best in them, and now there is every reason to believe they can end their uncharacteristic, five season-long trophy drought.
On Wednesday at a half-full FNB Stadium, where players from the club’s different eras were present for the celebrations and a large cake was cut by founding chairman Kaizer Motaung, Chiefs showed they know how to bounce back when they smashed Highlands Park 3-0.
There is every reason to believe Chiefs can end their… trophy drought
A Chiefs win over Highlands is customary, and while the celebrations were wild, the discerning followers looked ahead to the next match as the one that would assure them their club was back on track for the title.
Struggling as they are, Cape Town City are always a formidable foe. But Chiefs needed to put a cherry on top of the anniversary celebrations and they again scored three without reply as they bagged maximum points.
No better way to mark the 50th anniversary than by widening the gap on top over chasing Mamelodi Sundowns who are, ironically, also turning 50 this year.
The proper celebration, though, will be for Chiefs to still top the table come the season’s last day in May.