In May 1999 Kaizer Chiefs were heading for a unique treble, having wrapped up the Rothmans Cup title earlier in the 1998-99 campaign the Amakhosi were en-route to a unique treble, and were looking to put in place the second piece of the puzzle when they headed to Soccer City for the BOB Save Super Bowl Final (now Nedbank Cup) on May 29 1999.

Despite their dominance on a balmy Saturday afternoon Kaizer Chiefs were defeated by SuperSport United 2-1, Thomas Madigage and Glen Salmons goals were the difference despite a late penalty converted by Chiefs top scorer that season Pollen Ndlanya the Amakhosi ended as runners up.

Cruelly a few days later Chiefs were to lose the league title to another Tshwane team Mamelodi Sundowns on goal difference, 14 years later the Amakhosi meet SuperSport in the Nedbank Cup Final with the memory of that defeat on the peripheries of the 20th century still lingering.

Since that loss to SuperSport in the 1999 Cup Final Chiefs managed to walk up the podium the following season winning the first Nedbank Cup of the 21st century notching up a 1-0 win over Sundowns in the 2000 Final.

Their next Cup Final meeting against SuperSport saw Chiefs go down again to Matsasantsa as the Amakhosi were defeated 1-0 in the 2004-05 SAA Supa8 Final, then the turnaround as Chiefs defeated SuperSport in the 2004-05 Coca Cola Cup Final and including that win are undefeated in their last five cup games including another cup final the 2006-07 SAA Supa8 final against them.

Chiefs were also responsible for eliminating the then defending Champions SuperSport from the first round of the Absa Cup (now Nedbank Cup) tournament in 2005-06 and then went all the way to the final, dethroning SuperSport to eventually win the title on penalties against Orlando Pirates.

While Saturday’s Cup Final is Chiefs’ first in this tournament since 2006, there is a good omen for the Amakhosi as they have taken over the mantle from SuperSport whenever Matsasantsa have been the defending Champions of this tournament, doing so in 1999-00 and 2005-06, Chiefs will be looking for to replace SuperSport as Nedbank Cup Champions for a third time.

Chiefs were 2-1 winners when the teams last clashed three years ago in a Nedbank Cup last 32 encounter in 2009-10 and having gone undefeated in both their league games against SuperSport this season the Amakhosi will be looking to extend that run on Saturday in Durban and hopefully hoist aloft what will be their 13th Nedbank Cup title.

Saturday’s game will also be the 5th clash in a major domestic cup final between the two sides with each team having won two, SuperSport triumphed in the 1998-99 BOB Save and 2004-05 SAA Supa8 Finals, while Chiefs with two 1-0 victories won the 2004-05 Coca Cola Cup and 2006-07 SAA Supa8 Finals contested by the sides.