Posted in News on Oct 21, 2006.
It was not just in the stands where there was some concern over Kilambe’s inclusion in the starting eleven, in the media box most of the scribes took a swipe at Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp and mocked The Amakhosi coach for his inclusion of Kilambe.
Once the game got under way Kilambe looked comfortable along side Shaun Bartlett in attack for The Amakhosi and showed initial signs that he was going to make an impact.
In his first start for Chiefs since joining The Amakhosi in August, Kilambe was really impressive and he showed his killer instinct in front of goal, by sending the ball into the back of the net with the first real chance that came his way.
Kilambe’s performance can be attributed to the fact that he has confidence in his abilities, and furthermore was convinced he would find his way into the team on Saturday evening.
Speaking to kaizerchiefs.com on Saturday morning in his hotel room, Kilambe was confident that he would be able to continue with his Supa8 Cup Final antics from last season - when he popped up a year ago to score for his former team Bloemfontein Celtic against the very same SuperSport United in Potchefstroom.
Talking to kaizerchiefs.com after the cup final on Saturday evening, a very delighted and ecstatic Kilambe added “when I first came to South Africa, I trained with SuperSport and I know how Pitso thinks which definitely helped me to be at my best on Saturday evening”.
The strong and powerful former Zambian international also felt that he had a gut feeling that something good was going to come his way in the Cup Final “the minute I heard I was in the starting eleven I had a good feeling about the game. There are days when you know things are going to fall your way and today was one of them” said Kilambe.
When asked about the fact that he has now entered SAA Supa8 folklore by scoring in consecutive finals for two different teams added “I enjoy playing football that is my life and on top of that I am a striker. Which simply means that my reason for being on the field of play is to score goals”.
In all the joy Kilambe did take a moment out to hug injured team mate Siyabonga Nkosi who like him was won the Supa8 tournament with Celtic last year. “Siyabonga actually got Chiefs on the road to winning this Cup, he scored the first goal against Golden Arrows and if he did not get that goal then I would not have had the chance to get this one tonight.
It was really sad that he could not play against SuperSport but I hope that he and I will play in many more Cup finals for Chiefs together” was Kilambe’s take on Nkosi missing out on Saturday’s Cup Final.
Few would have believed it had you had told them twenty four hours or even and hour before kick off on Saturday, that Rotson Kilambe would have his name lit up in neon lights as Chiefs hero in the SAA Supa8 Final.
The Amakhosi found a hero when they needed one as Kilambe will enter the record books for scoring in two SAA Supa8 Finals in a row, and for winning two winner’s medals with two different teams. All he can do for now is to savour the moment as a player forgotten by many a few months ago has once again made his mark on South African Football, as Rotson Kilambe officially begins life as an unlikely hero for The Amakhosi faithful.
