Posted in News, Team News on Nov 01, 2019.
Historically since the inception of the PSL in 1996/97, Chiefs have held sway when the sides have met in the Telkom Knockout Cup under its various guises.
In total they have met six times in the Telkom Knockout Cup since 1996/97, with each team recording two outright wins, with Chiefs winning a further two games on penalties.
The first meeting between the sides in this competition in the PSL era was in the 1998/99 season when they met over two legs in the semi-final. Tthe competition was known as the Rothmans Cup at the time. Chiefs triumphed 3-1 in the first leg with Pollen Ndlanya netting a brace. Although we lost the second leg, Amakhosi progressed 3-2 on aggregate to the final where we faced Mamelodi Sundowns.
It took over a decade for them to clash in the Telkom Knockout Cup again when they met in the semifinals in the 2009/10 season in April 2010. Chiefs won 3-0 on penalties after the game ended goalless with both teams failing to find the net after 120 minutes.
The teams met in the final in the following season in 2010/11. With Chiefs having already lost to Pirates in the Semi-final of the MTN8, Amakhosi avenged that defeat with a comprehensive 3-0 thumping of their arch nemesis. Sthembiso Ngcobo notching a brace for Chiefs and Siphiwe Tshabalala scoring the other goal.
Chiefs again overcame Pirates in the TKO defeating them on spot kicks after their semifinal clash in 2015/16 ended goalless. Last season Pirates won when the sides met in the semifinals winning 2-1.
Apart from their win over Pirates in the 2010/11 final, victory for Chiefs in the rounds before the final over Pirates since 1996/97 has seen Amakhosi win the tournament on two occasions. in 1998/99 and 2009/10 wins over Pirates in the semifinals saw Chiefs go onto lift the cup. As they defeated Sundowns in the 1998/99 final and Ajax Cape Town in the 2009/10 final.
Chiefs will have good memories of playing a cup game against Pirates in Durban with Ernst Middendorp as their coach. It was with the German mentor at the helm in 2005/06 that Amakhosi defeated them in the 2005/06 Absa Cup Final on penalties after the game ended 0-0. With goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez proving to be the hero for Chiefs in the shootout, as Chiefs won 5-4 on spot kicks.
Since 1996/97, this will be the earliest round the sides will be meeting in the Telkom Knockout Cup. Their previous clashes have all been from the semifinals round onwards. They met in the last four in 1998/99, 2009-10, 2015/16 and 2018/19 while they met in the final in 2010/11.
*1998-99 Rothmans Cup Semi-final played over two legs
*PSO= Penalty Shoot-outs
*PSW= Penalty Shoot-outs Won
*PSL= Penalty Shoot-outs Lost