The 2011/12 season officially begins this weekend for the Amakhosi when they play their first match of the new campaign, an MTN8 quarterfinal clash against their cross-town rivals BIDVest Wits at the FNB Stadium at 15:00 on Sunday.

Chiefs have been hard at work in the pre-season, returning to training on June 27, and have had this game on their minds for a while now.

The Amakhosi, eliminated at the semifinals stage of the last two MTN8 tournaments, will be looking to go one better this time around. They will hope to win what will be a 15th title, their first in three seasons (as they last won the tournament in 2008/2009) and their 4th in the PSL era.

For Chiefs there has been some concern as striker George Lebese and midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane are both injured and will miss the game.

Chiefs won their first MTN8 title in 1974 and they will be looking to wrestle the trophy away from their Soweto rivals and defending champions Orlando Pirates. In order to do that they need to win in the Johannesburg Derby against Wits on Sunday afternoon, as that will be their first steps towards the final.

The History

Chiefs and BIDVest Wits have a long and colourful rivalry in Cup competitions. Since 1985 they have squared off on 24 occasions in Cup matches, with Chiefs winning 12 of the matches and six of the games ending in draws.

In the MTN8, through its different name changes, the teams have squared off seven times, with Chiefs winning four of the matches. The teams first met in the top8 competition in 1987. Chiefs won that inaugural game 4-0.

They also met in the final of the tournament in 1995. Wits won 2-0 that time. In the PSL era the sides have met in the tournament three times. Chiefs won in 2000/2001 and in their most recent clash in 2009/2010, while Wits won the other meeting in 2003/2004.

Recent Times

Current Amakhosi coach Vladimir Vermezovic has had a good run against Wits since taking over as Chiefs coach at the start of the 2009/2010 season. In six league and cup games against the Students under Vermezovic, Chiefs have won four games. This included the most recent Cup game between the sides, which was in last season's Nedbank Cup tournament, which Chiefs won 4-0.

They have drawn one and lost one of their other matches played under Vermezovic, which should please the Amakhosi mentor.

Wits' last Cup triumph over the Amakhosi came at the old FNB Stadium prior to its 2010 Fifa World Cup facelift, in an Absa Cup game that the Students won on penalty kicks in March 2005.