It will be the classic David against Goliath cup final when Kaizer Chiefs face Silver Stars in the 2003 Coca-Cola Cup final that takes place on Saturday at FNB Stadium.

The match kicks off at 3:15, and despite Stars not being a great crowd puller, the stadium is expected to be filled to capacity.

It has been a fairytale season for Stars, and they are first newly promoted club to move straight into a major cup final since the inception of the Premier Soccer League (PSL). Whether they can go all the way remains to be seen.

When it comes to cup matches, there is nothing that can match the cup pedigree of Chiefs, who will be out to win their second Coke cup in three seasons. This will be Chiefs third consecutive final, and the only time they have been beaten in the final was when they lost to Jomo Cosmos in last season’s final, also at FNB.

Chiefs will be looking to take control from the outset, and have the balance and class to easily outwit rookies Stars.

Stars are a side for the big time, and they showed that when they knocked Orlando Pirates out of last season’s Absa Cup, and will be looking to do the same against Chiefs.

There is no doubt that Stars are one of the best footballing sides in the country at the moment, they push the ball around with authority, and though they do not many big names, the do not fear reputations.

Their problem though, is the fact that they tend to take their time in front of goal. They waste a lot of chances, and seem to lack the killer instinct that is required at this level.

Nevetheless, by all accounts Saturday’s cup final is likely to be a great one where the sparks are expected to fly, and no matter who wins, the fans will leave the stadium knowing they have watched a great match.

Report

When Silver Stars take the field against Kaizer Chiefs in Saturday’s Coca-Cola Cup final, it will bring back a lot of memories to at least four of the Stars players. Four of the Stars squad are former Chiefs players, and may have been waiting a long time to gain revenge against the team that rejected them.

This alone should be the main motivating factor that Stars coach Owen Da Gama should use for his side as they prepare for the match.

But for Thabang Lebese, Thato Maleka, Manqoba Mkhize and Gavin Silange things will not get any bigger than Saturday, and all four would love to leave the field with winners medals.

Not many people will give them a chance on Saturday, and they more than anybody else, will have knowledge of what it is like to be par of a Chiefs squad ahead of a major cup final.

Silange, Mkhize and Maleka have between them played four matches for Chiefs, and very much on the outside, and never given any real time to prove themselves in the Amakhosi kraal. Midfielder

Maleka scored three times in the two matches he played for Chiefs, while goalkeeper Silange and midfielder Mkhize played one match each before moving on.

But the man that could well cause the most damage against Chiefs is Lebese, who played 219 matches and scored 73 times for Amakhosi. Lebese was part of many great Chiefs teams and has a unique

insight to this great club, and knows the pitfalls as well.

"Normally I just tell my teammates about what I learnt about playing for Chiefs as well as Orlando Pirates. The players listen to my advice and are keen to learn," he was recently quoted as saying.

"But I also warn them about the harsh treatment you can get there, and that for every mistake you make there is always someone waiting to take your place."

So going into the weekend’s clash, the Chiefs in Stars clothing will be hoping to cause one of the biggest upsets in cup history.

Statistics 



Chiefs



Log Position: 2



Top Scorer: Moshoeu 6 (all PSL)



Last five matches 



01/11 Ajax CT 	H 	Coke 	3-2 Zwane 14, 
Radebe 30, Mayo 68



05/11 SuperSport 	H 	PSL 	0-1



09/11 Manning 	A 	PSL 	2-0 Mayo 23, Moshoeu 89



26/11 Wits FC 	H 	Coke 	3-0 Dlamini 11, 
McCarthy 76, Musasa 86



29/11 Dynamos 	H 	PSL 	1-0 Musasa 11 



Stars:



Log Position11th 



Top Scorer: Nkosi 3 (2 PSL, 1 Coke) Masanabo 3 (2 PSL, 1 Coke 1)



Last five matches:



01/11 Swallows 	H 	Coke 	2-1 Kunene 31, Maleka 78



05/11 Ajax CT 	A 	PSL 	0-4



08/11 Hellenic 	H 	PSL 	1-0 Ntwagae 73



23/11 Arrows 	H 	Coke 	1-0 Langa 38og



28/11 Cosmos 	A 	PSL 	2-1 Williams 46, Masanabo 59