As Serge Djiehoua stripped off his tracksuit and stood side by side with the fourth official awaiting his entry into the field, he had the look of a young schoolboy eager to run out into the schoolyard and play with his friends. Such was the eagerness of the big Ivorian, that he jumped straight into the thick of battle when he entered the field as second half substitute in the Amakhosi nail biting 5-4 injury time victory over City Pillars in the ABSA Cup Round of 32. As Djiehoua ran onto the field he received a tumultuous welcome from the Chiefs supporters who helped him recover through what could have been a career threatening injury that he picked up in late September.

Djiehoua laboured hard to get back into shape and attributes his quicker than expected return to action, to the many letters of encouragement he received from Chiefs supporters wishing him a speedy recovery. Serge is ready to repay the kindness shown to him by the supporters, and he plans to begin this weekend against Black Leopards in the ABSA Cup ¼ Finals. “I am determined to finish my first season in South Africa with a trophy, there still is the league if you want to be true to yourself - the Cup is our best chance of winning a trophy” said Djiehoua. He continued further by saying “winning the cup will be a wonderful achievement, this is going to be my gift to the supporters, they have stuck by me and helped me through some rough times. I just want to thank them by winning something for them”.

When Serge took to the field in the game against Pillars, Chiefs were trailing and it was he who first set up Louis Agyemang in injury time at the end of the game to level matters and save Chiefs blushes. Serge was at it again as he supplied the pass for Agyemang to complete his brace in injury time as Chiefs eventually won 5-4. When questioned about the fact that he played a dealing hand in Chiefs victory, Serge is modest in his answer. “When your coach sends you on as a substitute it is because he expects you to make a difference and I rewarded his confidence in me with aiding my team to victory”.

As a result of the injury he collected earlier in the season, Serge was not able to do much as Chiefs were bundled out of the Coca Cola Cup by Jomo Cosmos in November last year. He now has the self-confidence and determination to help Chiefs overcome Leopards on Saturday and move on towards the semi finals.