Posted in News on Feb 20, 2007.
Chiefs will once again be looking to hover above the rest of the pack when they get their ABSA Cup ambitions up and running again on Sunday against Golden Arrows in the Round of 32. The ABSA Cup, which runs with the motto of ‘The Cup of Dreams’, lived up to its expectations for Chiefs last season when The Amakhosi trudged home with the trophy and the huge prize purse which went with it.
Chiefs are back in the 2007 ABSA Cup looking to make a successful defence of their title, and once again ‘live the dream’ all the way to the final in May.
It was a dream that started last time around against defending the then defending ABSA Cup Champions, SuperSport United, and ended in triumph at the ABSA Stadium in Durban. Chiefs held aloft the trophy after playing a 120 minutes without a goal being scored. The Amakhosi finally overcame their archrivals Orlando Pirates via the penalty shoot out, and became the South African Cup Champions for the first time in six years.
When Chiefs begin the defence of their Cup crown against Golden Arrows on Sunday, they will be hoping to do it in less dramatic fashion, as a win in regulation time against Arrows will more than suffice for Ernst Middendorp and his team. Chiefs and Arrows are no strangers to each other having already met in a league game earlier in February, which Arrows won.
A number of Chiefs players are confident that the defending ABSA Cup Champions will progress on to the next stage of the competition.
Derrick Spencer, who played his first full game of the New Year for Chiefs since returning from injury against Wits University on Sunday, believes a good showing against Arrows will help lay the foundation for a successful cup run for Chiefs.
“What really set the tone for us during last year’s ABSA Cup was our first victory over SuperSport United in the round of thirty, defeating the defending Champions helped us gain a lot of confidence and the belief that we could go all the way” added Derrick.
Spencer, who managed to play the full ninety minutes against Wits, is eager to get onto the field and get Chiefs' ABSA Cup campaign off the ground, adding that the excitement of knock out Cup competition brings out the best in him.
“Ever since I have been a Chiefs player I have come to understand that the club has had a lot of success in cup competitions down the years. Having been at the club since 2003 I can see why knock out football is very appealing to players, because you know you have only one shot at winning a game and it really does not matter how you have played all season because in when it comes to a cup game, you give everything you got to go to the next round.”
Another Chiefs' players who made a timely return to form over the weekend, winger Arthur Zwane, is no stranger to cup competitions, having won seven knock out cup competitions in the seven and a half seasons he has been a Chiefs player. Chiefs will be looking to use the experience that Arthur has gained over the past few seasons, competing in various cup to their advantage.
The speedy winger is happy to oblige saying “we have been training hard since the weekend’s game, and if I am given the opportunity to play on Sunday against Arrows I will be looking to keep up the work rate and will do everything I can to ensure we move into the last 16”. Arthur who has had success against Golden Arrows in cup matches throughout his career at Chiefs wants to keep up that impressive track record.
“All the cup matches I have played against Arrows have always been played in a competitive spirit at a high frantic pace, we have always come out on tops. I recall Coca Cola Cup match against them a few seasons ago which we won, Arrows were relentless and never gave up even when the game looked to be heading in our favour. Having never been on the losing end in a cup game against them I will be a happy man on Sunday, should we be able to win our fifth cup match against them” concluded Arthur.
With cupboards full of silverware at home Arthur Zwane and Derrick Spencer will be looking towards adding to their array of trophies and medals with an extended and successful cup run. For that dream to turn into a reality and avoid becoming a nightmare Chiefs will be on their guard against Arrows in Rustenburg, where the long road to fulfilling their ABSA Cup dreams will begin on Sunday in the Platinum City.
