It was doom and gloom at Joburg Stadium as Orlando Pirates went home empty handed following a season that promised so much yet delivered nothing. That the bounty had gone to their rivals Amakhosi just added salt to the wound.

Chiefs went into the match top of the table with the Buccaneers in hot pursuit. Nothing but victory could assure Amakhosi of the title while Pirates started the match with a mountain to climb as they needed to score four goals to match the Chiefs' goals-for total.

The Buccaneers must have thought it was their lucky day as Sibusiso Dabi struck an own goal on 10 minutes to put Pirates ahead. At that stage the Happy People were on song and well on course for the championship title as Chiefs were still struggling to find the net in Bloemfontein. The situation remained so until the break.

However, Zambian striker Collins Mbesuma had other ideas as he capped a perfect season with a brace to secure the Golden Boot with 25 goals, scoring on 54 and 61 minutes to set the bar even higher for Pirates. At this stage the men in black and white needed seven goals to wrest the title from their rivals Amakhosi.

It was mission impossible and Pirates started feeling the pressure as minutes ticked by with Bucks seemingly unrelenting. As the news filtered through to a somewhat morbid Johannesburg Stadium that Chiefs had won 2-0, Pirates took their foot off the gas pedal and Bucks pounced with a late equaliser, leaving Chiefs as undisputed champions.

Amakhosi did not even bother waiting for the final result from Johannesburg as they started celebrating while waiting for Trevor Phillips' helicopter to deliver the trophy. The capacity crowd went into a wild frenzy as they celebrated their second title in two seasons.

For Mbesuma it was also a personal victory as he not only matched the scoring record set by Amakhosi legend Fani Madida in 1991 but went even one better. Overall the burly young Chipolopolo star netted 37 goals in all competitions. He has proved a real nightmare for defenders and Chiefs will be hoping for the same again next season.

The victory at Vodacom Park marked a truly dramatic comeback by Chiefs who were at one stage 11 points behind Pirates. With this feat, Amakhosi also proved that last season wasn't a fluke after having missed out on the title since 1992.

This time around they did well, collecting maximum points everytime it was vital. Victories against Moroka Swallows, Bucks Bucks and SuperSport United suddenly swung the pendulum in their favour and it was not surprising that they went into the last match as favourites.

It was a fourth league title for Chiefs' veteran Romanian-born coach Ted Dumitru. "It was one of the most difficult seasons but it has been a marvellous," Dumitru said. "It has been one of the most exciting finishes ever."

Both sides qualify for next year's African Champions League, although Chiefs face a three-year ban from the Champions League after withdrawing from this year's competition.

A decision will be made by the Confederation of African Football next month.