During his time with Chiefs he was a feared striker and many defenders dreaded the day they had to face him, twice voted as a South African Footballer of the year, winning the honour back to back in 1987 and 1988.

That man is Marks Maponyane who took time out of his busy schedule on Thursday to talk to kaizerchiefs.com about his most memorable moments, as a Chiefs player in the old BP Top Eight Competition as the SAA Supa8 was known as until its face lift in 2003. Maponyane won the BP Top8/ SAA Supa8 an astonishing six teams during his decade long stay with Chiefs which began in 1981 and culminated with his departure from Chiefs at the end of the 1991 season.

Amongst his triumphs in the Top8/ Supa8 competition for Marks was a hat trick he netted in the first leg of the 1987 final against Rangers in Durban. Go man go as Maponyane was amicably called during his playing days, relives his most memorable BP Top8/ SAA Supa8 moments with kaizerchiefs.com

KC.COM: Marks not may people would have thought of it but the reality is that as a Chiefs player you won the BP Top8 (now SAA Supa8) trophy on six occasions?

MM: I have never really analyzed my records in that way, now that you have mentioned it and if I run back the clock in my mind I do have many great memories from this competition. To me this tournament always represented a real challenge as I always saw it as the pre cursor to how a season would pan out for me, because back when I was a player we always played this tournament first before the season proper got under way.

KC.COM: Why do you think you enjoyed playing in the BP Top8/ SAA Supa8 tournament as much as you did?

MM: One thing that always made it interesting was the fact that you were playing against the best teams from the previous season; it was not the kind of competition where there were teams from lower divisions as well. Here it was you against the best teams from the last season and it was a knock out competition so there was no time to blink, it was either you were going to survive or the opposition would prevail. Playing against the best teams always got me fired up and I was highly motivated when ever I came up against the likes of Pirates or Swallows back in those days.

KC.COM: In those days in the 1980’s and early 90’s the season began sometime in January, how did you manage to come off the holidays and be fired up to start playing in a cup competition?

MM: While the rest of the country was feasting I used to be training, the key to my success as a player was always being fitter than opposition players and in those days I always trained hard. I never let a day go by without keeping my shape whether it was over Christmas or New Year, I always maintained a strict training regime and the thing is that it paid dividends. It just so happened that I wanted to come into a new season on fire so I made the sacrifice of having to watch what I eat over the holidays and it was only for a few years. As these days I do not have to worry about watching what I eat over the December holidays.

KC.COM: As a collective unit what would you say helped the Chiefs teams that you played in be so successful in the BP TOP Eight/ SAA Supa8 competition?

MM: I think it was the fact that we had a great team and the players enjoyed playing with each other. One of the most contributing factors to a team’s success is their ability to be able to enjoy being on the field of play with one another; I had great guys around me. The likes of Wellington Manyathi, Chippa Molatedi, Trevor Mthimkhulu, for a while Ace Ntosolengoe and later on Doctor Khumalo players who were highly gifted and inspired me to play at my best. Also I must say that when we won the BP Top Eight / SAA Supa 8 in 1987 our coach at the time Ted Dumitru also played a key role in our success.

KC.COM: What would you say was your most memorable moment as a Chiefs player in the BP Top Eight / SAA Supa8 tournament?

MM: All the times we won it were very memorable but on a personal note none could surpass the 1987 final. In those days the games were played over two legs and it was in the first leg of the 1987 final in Durban against Rangers, that I was able to score a hat trick. It turned out to be one of those days when everything fell into place and what ever I touched turned to goal, I took the first chance that came my way and from there onwards things just fell for me. We won the game three nil and the second leg was a non contest as the damage had already been done in Durban and all we had to was play out the game, which we did and won the 1987 Top8/ Supa8 trophy.

KC.COM: This coming Sunday Chiefs travel to Durban to face Moroka Swallows in the SAA Supa8 Semi Finals, what is your take on how the game will pan out?

MM: Chiefs need first to put everything that has happened over the past few weeks behind them especially their result against Wits on Wednesday evening and regroup and should let recent events affect them. This game against Swallows presents them with the perfect opportunity to use as a springboard towards getting their season going again, victory against Swallows in my opinion will carry them through to more trophies.

Which could also see them successfully defending their ABSA Cup trophy, there will obviously be Patrick Mabedi and Bevan Fransman factor former Chiefs players who would want to put one over their old employees. Taking all that into account I still do feel that Chiefs have both the quality and the ability to win against Swallows in Durban.

Did you know that as Chiefs player from 1981 - 1991 Marks Maponyane won a BP TOP Eight winners medal on six occasions in: 1981, 1982, 1987, 1989 and 1991.