Kaizer Chiefs will start their 2021-22 DStv Premiership season with a trip to the Mbombela Stadium to face TS Galaxy in Nelspruit on Sunday, starting what will be the club’s 52^nd consecutive season in the top-flight of South African Football.

Amakhosi and their rivals Orlando Pirates are the only two teams who have been in the top tier since the advent of professional football in the country in 1971 and the Amakhosi will be looking to begin the new campaign with a win.

We take a look back at some memorable opening day league clashes for Chiefs down the years.

1. Kaizer Chiefs 11 African Wanderers 1, 1971

Just over a year after the club’s formation Kaizer Chiefs featured in their first league game in the National Professional Soccer League in 1971, against African Wanderers.

Chiefs emphatically announced their arrival on the South African professional league scene as they hammered Wanderers 11-1. This game on the 17^th April 1971 saw Otto Malaza score Chiefs first league goal as he opened the scoring, the player from Alexandra Township would score a hattrick with Ace Ntsoelengoe scoring four. Herman ‘Pele’ Blaschke became the first foreign player to score in a league game for Amakhosi as he also found the back of the net.

2. Kaizer Chiefs 10 African Wanderers 1, 1974

Kaizer Chiefs were ruthless in their opening league games in 1971, 1972 and 1973, scoring at least five goals in each game. The Amakhosi continued that streak with a 10-1 win over the hapless African Wanderers, a team they had previously defeated 11-1 in 1971.

Between them Johannes ‘Big Boy’ Kholoane and Ace Ntsoelengoe scored nine goals, with the former scoring four and the latter five. Jerry Sadike managed to get on the score sheet as well, scoring the other for Chiefs. Chiefs would go on to win their first league title in this campaign.

3. Kaizer Chiefs 3 Orlando Pirates 0, 1992

There was a huge weight of expectation after the Amakhosi tore up the record books in 1991, and they started the 1992 campaign with a 3-0 win over arch-rivals Orlando Pirates on 15 February 1992. A day after Valentine’s Day  Amakhosi won over the hearts of the Chiefs faithful, as they mesmerized their bitter rivals. Albert Bwalya scored a brace and Fani Madida the other as Chiefs started the defence of their league title with a scintillating performance, in a season that would see them also win the BP Top8 and the BOB Save Super Bowl.

4. Kaizer Chiefs 2 Mamelodi Sundowns 0, 2003-04

Chiefs began a new era with the returning Ted Dumitru at the helm almost 15 years after leaving the club. Dumitru was targeting a league title, something he did not win in his first stint with Chiefs. Amakhosi opened up against a Sundowns team that Dumitru had led to two titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99, and he had a lot to prove. The veteran John ‘ Shoes’ Moshoeu opened the scoring for Chiefs in the 45^th minute and Patrick Mayo scored a second a minute into the second half as Chiefs won 2-0. Amakhosi would famously lift the league title that season.

5. AmaZulu 0 Kaizer Chiefs 6, 2012-13

Stuart Baxter’s reign as Kaizer Chiefs coach started with a loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN 8, an emphatic 4-1 defeat. Chiefs were looking to quickly bounce back when they travelled for their first league game of the season to Durban to face AmaZulu in 2012-13. Bernard Parker led the charge with four goals as Chiefs began the season with their biggest league win since the formation of the PSL to triumph 6-0 against Usuthu and set the tone for a fantastic league triumph.