Posted in Features, News on May 08, 2025.
Kaizer Chiefs have history with defending champions in the Nedbank Cup going back to the 1970s. In the past, Amakhosi have stopped Pirates from successful defences of the title. The first time, in 1976, Chiefs halted Pirates’ bid to win a fourth successive title, and since 1996/97, when the Premier Soccer League was inaugurated, Chiefs have faced the defending champions in six finals, winning four (although one loss was on penalties against SuperSport). This is the second time since 1996/97 that Chiefs face Pirates as defending champions in the competition. In 1997/98, Pirates defeated Chiefs 1-0 in a round of 32 clash, eventually losing in the final to Sundowns.
Here, www.kaizerchiefs.com takes a look at Chiefs’ memorable PSL era wins over defending Nedbank Cup champions.
2005/06, Round of 32, 11 March 2005
Kaizer Chiefs 3 (Agyemang 57’, 76’, Mathebula 65’)
SuperSport United 1 (Tabedze 67’)
SuperSport United had reached a series of Cup finals and had lifted the trophy in 2004/05. They had already defeated Chiefs in the 2004/05 SAA Supa8 Final, and Amakhosi were looking to avenge that loss and lay down a marker for the rest of the competition. Chiefs’ Ghanaian striker, Louis Agyemang, was on song - scoring a brace - while man-of-the-match, David Mathebula, who played at the request of his illness-stricken mother, scored Chiefs’ third, as they eliminated the defending champions with a 20-minute three-goal blitz in the second half. Chiefs would go onto lift the title.
2007/08, Round of 32, 14 March 2007
Kaizer Chiefs 2 (McCarthy pen 109’, Khenyeza 112’)
Ajax Cape Town 0
After Extra-Time
Chiefs’ then coach, Muhsin Ertugral, was a Nedbank Cup winner in 2006/07 as Ajax Cape Town coach. A season later, he faced his former team - and the defending champions - as Chiefs coach at Kings Park in Durban. The game headed into extra-time, where Mabhuti Khenyeza was fouled by Clayton Daniels, resulting in a penalty which was duly converted by Fabian McCarthy in the 109th minute. Three minutes later, Derrick Spencer set up Khenyeza for Chiefs’ second as Amakhosi sent the defending champions out of the tournament, winning 2-0.
2010/11, Round of 16, 10 April 2011
Wits University 0
Kaizer Chiefs 4 (Tshabalala 13, 74, Ngcobo 35, Lebese 83)
Chiefs overcame lower division opponents, Nathi Lions, in the round of 32, winning 3-2 away from home and then had to visit the defending champions, Wits University, in the round of 16. Wits had won the title in 2009/10 beating AmaZulu at the newly renovated FNB Stadium. However, the defending champions could not hold off an inspired Siphiwe Tshabalala, who was instrumental in Chiefs’ dismantling of The Clever Boys. Shabba scored a brace, with Sthembiso Ngcobo and George Lebese also scoring in the 4-0 thrashing.
2012/13, Final, 25 May 2013
SuperSport United 0
Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Parker 93’)
After Extra-Time
Co-incidentally, Moses Mabhida Stadium was the venue the only other time Chiefs faced a defending Nedbank Cup champion in the final. They came up against SuperSport United, who were looking to make a successful defence of their crown. Chiefs, in Stuart Baxter’s first season at the helm, had already clinched the league championship with a draw against SuperSport, and were on course for the double. A tense game was deadlocked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, but that soon changed three minutes into extra-time, with Bernard Parker’s sublime strike early handing Chiefs a 1-0 win, and their 13th Nedbank Cup title.
