Posted in News on Apr 26, 2006.
The enigmatic Serbian born Frenchman was confident that his team would walk all over Chiefs and proceed on in the competition. Unfortunately for Dolezar, Chiefs did their talking on the pitch and returned home from Mabopane with an emphatic 3-1 victory.
This time around the Sundowns coaching staff have chosen their words carefully in pre-match interviews with Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey showering Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp with the highest of respect and praise for his work at Chiefs.
The Chiefs coach himself has been equally respectful to the Brazilians coaching department saying, "I know that on Saturday when we walk out to play Sundowns in the semifinals, it will be Chiefs against the new PSL Champions."
When game time comes all the niceties and smiles will be put aside as Chiefs aim to continue their recent, as well as historical dominance over Sundowns in cup competitions.
Indeed Chiefs do have the upper hand over the Brazilians, as the two teams have met seven times in cup competitions since the inception of the PSL in 1996 and Amakhosi have only ever been beaten once by the Brazilians.
That defeat was almost five years ago when a Raphael Chukwu brace knocked Chiefs out of the 2001 BOB Save Super Bowl Champions when they were the defending champions. Ironically Chiefs defeated Sundowns by a goal to nil in the final the year before courtesy of a Siyabonga Nomvete penalty.
Generally cup games between the two teams are hotly-contested affairs and if history is anything to go by then Saturday’s game is sure to be an exciting and explosive affair from kick off.
As has been demonstrated in the past, cup games between the two teams are played until the referee blows his whistle as Sundowns found out when Cyril Nzama equalized towards the end of the game in the 2001 BP Top Eight final to force a penalty shoot out. Amakhosi prevailed in the nerve-wrecking penalty shoot-out to win what was a riveting game that produced four goals before penalties were needed to determine the winner.
Cup Results between Chiefs, Sundowns since the inception of the PSL in 1996
1997 Rothmans Cup Final First Leg
Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Lebese) Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Chukwu)
1997 Rothmans Cup Final Replay
Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Muchihwa) Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Chukwu)
Chiefs win 3-2 on penalties aet
1998 Rothmans Cup Final
Kaizer Chiefs 2 (Mooki, Nomvete) Mamelodi Sundowns 2 (Masilela, Bapela)
Chiefs win 2-1 on penalties
2000 BOB Save Super Bowl Final
Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Nomvete pen) Mamelodi Sundowns 0
2000 – 2001 BP TOP EIGHT 3RD – 4TH PLACE PLAY OFF
Kaizer Chiefs 3 (Pule, Nauseb 2) Mamelodi Sundowns 2 (Meiring, Mnguni)
2000 - 2001 BOB Save Super Bowl Semi Finals
Kaizer Chiefs 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 2 (Chukwu)
2001 - 2002 BP TOP EIGHT FINAL
Kaizer Chiefs 2 (Zwane, Nzama) Mamelodi Sundowns 2 (Mudua 2)
Chiefs win 7 – 6 on penalties
2003 – 2004 ABSA CUP Last 32
Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Jordaan) Kaizer Chiefs 3 (Moshoeu, Dlamini, Mendu)