Author: scatty

The Kaizer Chiefs are far and away the most popular football team in South Africa, and with fame comes a lot of ire. Just like the Dallas Cowboys in the United States or Manchester United in England, there are a lot of other teams that want their shot at the most popular. As a result, the Chiefs have amassed many rivals throughout the club’s history.

Of those rivalries, which ones are the fiercest? Let’s take a look at the five clubs that Chiefs fans want to see their team beat every time with little regard to running up the score.

Moroka Swallows

The Moroka Swallows Football Club is the second-oldest team on the list, having been founded in 1947. The Birds haven’t experienced a lot of top-level success, but have plenty of notable matches against Kaizer Chiefs. Some of the highlights for Moroka Swallows include winning the South African Soccer League in 1965, then having a run of success in the 1980s and 1990s when they won the Mainstay Cup once and the Bob Save Super Bowl twice.

Surprisingly, these two clubs don’t meet as often as you might think. As of the 2022-23 season, the two clubs faced off just 22 times. The Chiefs took home 11 wins in those matches while the Swallows won five of their own, drawing in the other six. While it was a rivalry that was heavily in favor of the Chiefs for a while, Moroka has proved to be able to hold their own.

Bloemfontein Celtic

Founded the year prior to the Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic doesn’t play in a large venue, but the club has been able to find some success throughout its time despite relegations to the lower level. Celtic has undergone a few ownership changes during its history and has a few titles in the trophy case. This includes winning the 1985 Mainstay Cup, the 2005 MTN8 Cup, and the 2007 Telkom Charity Cup.

When Celtic is good, it tends to bring out the best in the Kaizer Chiefs. In the first 35 matches against one another, the Chiefs have come out on top in 15 of those matches, while Celtic won just five times. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though, as the clubs played to a draw another 15 times, showing that Celtic was able to at least hang around when up against top competition.

SuperSport United

By far the newest club on the list is Supersport United, which was founded in 1994 after the media company purchased Pretoria City. With a large corporate backing, SuperSport United was able to quickly find success and became a dominant force in the 2000s. During the decade, the club won the Premier Soccer League title for three consecutive years and also has several Nedbank Cup championships.

Despite being a newer club, the Chiefs have had plenty of matches played against them. In the first 29 matches in the head-to-head, SuperSport United has actually come out on top more often than the Chiefs with 11 wins against 10. The other eight matches resulted in draws, with SuperSport United holding a three-goal advantage.

Mamelodi Sundowns

In the same year (1970) that the Kaizer Chiefs were founded, the Mamelodi Sundowns made their debut. The club was originally founded by a group of local young players, and quickly grew into a professional organization that turned into a powerhouse during the late 1990s. Since 1998, the Mamelodi Sundowns have won the Premier Soccer League title more than a dozen times, while also finishing in second place several times. All in all, they have more titles than any other South African team since rising to the highest level in the 1990s.

Mamelodi has gotten the best of the Chiefs throughout the rivalry’s history, holding a slight edge in the win department. However, there have been some big wins for the Chiefs, including handing Mamelodi its only loss during the 2020-21 season.

Orlando Pirates

Despite battling the Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the table seemingly almost every year, no other club will replace the Orlando Pirates in terms of Kaizer Chiefs rivals. The club was founded in 1937 as Orlando Boys Club, making them the oldest club on the list by a wide margin. The heyday for the Orlando Pirates came in the 2000s and 2010s, with the club winning four Premier Soccer League titles in 12 years while coming in second place four times during that span.

The Pirates are also the most formidable foe for the Kaizer Chiefs. Through the first 57 matches that the two clubs played against one another, 19 of them ended in a draw. The Chiefs have a slight edge in the win total, earning 21 compared to 17 for the Pirates. However, the Pirates were able to score more goals in the rivalry, so both sides have some bragging rights in their favor.

The Kaizer Chiefs are one of the most successful football clubs in African history despite having a much shorter one than most. Founded in 1970, the Chiefs have won a long list of titles in South Africa while also finding success on a continental basis. Throughout team history, there have been dozens of coaching stints, with some that stand out more than others.

Today we look at those that made their mark with our picks for the five greatest coaches in Kaizer Chiefs history. Before we begin the list, some of the coaches who just missed the cut include Steve Komphela, Vladimir Vermezovic, Trott Moloto, and Kaizer Motaung.

Ernst Middendorp

The first spot on the list belongs to Ernst Middendopr, a German native who had a decade-long playing career between the 1970s and 1980s. He has coached more than two dozen clubs during his managerial career, which started with Eintracht Nordhorn in 1987. Middendorp first managed the Kaizer Chiefs from 2005 to 2007, then returned for a stint from 2018 to 2020.

Middendorp struggled a bit to start his career with the Chiefs but was still able to win 21 of his first 53 matches. He found more success in his second tenure, which saw him win 31 out of 60 matches. Middendorp was able to help the club win the 2006-07 MTN8 Cup, too.

Muhsin Ertugral

Muhsin Ertugral was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1959 and had dreams of playing professional football, but his playing days were brief. He made just one professional appearance in the late 1980s, then settled in both Belgium and Germany where he learned how to manage a football team. His first big job was becoming the head coach of Zaire’s national team during the mid-1990s while he continued to learn.

In 1999, Ertugral was named the head coach of the Kaizer Chiefs and held the position for four years. That wasn’t the only stint that Ertugral had with the team, either. After coaching five different clubs including Ajax Cape Town, Ertugral made his return to Kaizer Chiefs in 2007. He stuck around for another two years and has coached multiple teams since then. Ertugral was able to keep the club toward the top of the PSL standings for most of his combined stays.

Stuart Baxter

Unlike Ertugral, Englishman Stuart Baxter had a lengthy professional playing career. In 1973 he came onto the scene with Preston North End, then played for several clubs over the course of the next 11 years including South Melbourne FC, Stockport County, and Orebro SK. Baxter retired in 1984 and immediately went into managing, starting with the team he last played for.

During his managerial career, Baxter has made a lot of stops, including leading South Africa’s national team. In 2012, he took over Kaizer Chiefs and his first tenure was three years. He left in 2015 and managed three other clubs, as well as the South African national team again, before returning to Kaizer Chiefs in 2021. Baxter’s squads won the Premier Soccer League title twice, as well as the Nedbank Cup and MTN 8. He was named the PSL Coach of the Season in both 2012-13 and 2014-15.

Ted Dumitru

The late Ted Dumitru went all around the world during his long managerial career. The Romanian began coaching in 1966 in his native country before Dumitru made his way to the United States during the 1970s, then Africa in the 1980s. It was then that he took over Kaizer Chiefs for the first time in 1985, with his first stint lasting three years. 15 years after leaving, Dumitru began his second run with the team.

It proved to be his final time coaching club football, as he left in 2005 to manage South Africa’s national team before retiring in 2006. Under Dumitru, the Kaizer Chiefs won the Premier Soccer League Championship in back-to-back years (2003-04 and 2004-05). They also won the BP Top Eight Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, and Charity Spectacular Cup multiple times while adding a Vodacom Challenge and Mainstay Cup. 

Jeff Butler

Another Englishman to make the list, Jeff Butler may have stretched the truth when it came to his playing career. As a coach, he said that he had played for many professional teams across England, but those turned out to be tall tales. However, that doesn’t take away from his long managerial record. After coaching Nkana Red Devils and Al Ahly during the mid-1980s, he took over Kaizer Chiefs in 1988.

Butler had four different stints as the club’s manager. He coached from 1988-89, 1991, 1992, and 1995-1996. In his combined career, Butler was able to win the NSL First Division title three times, as well as multiple Knockout Cups, BP Top Eight Cups, and Telkom Charity Cups. The late manager left for the final time in 1996, briefly coaching Botswana in 1999 before retirement.

Kaizer Chiefs Football Club doesn’t have a history as long as some of the major football clubs of the world but has found more success than any other in South Africa. Since its founding in 1970, Kaizer Chiefs FC has had many great players on the roster. Today, we’ll celebrate some of those players as we look at the five best in club history. Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Ace Ntsoelengoe, Patrick Ntsoelengoe, Pollen Ndlanya, and Siphiwe Tshabalala.

Lucas Radebe

Lucas Radebe was born in Soweto on April 12, 1969, starting his career as a teenager with Diepkloof Wolf Wanderers. In 1987, he made his way to the ICL Birds youth program before joining Kaizer Chiefs Juniors two years later. Radebe didn’t have to spend much time with the youth program before he made his Kaizer Chiefs debut, doing so in the same year. As a defender, “The Chief” would play for five years with the club, making over 110 league appearances and even netting five goals.

Radebe was the favorite player of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela during his time with Kaizer Chiefs. Because of how good he was, there were English Premier League teams looking for his services. With that, Radebe joined Leeds United in 1994 and remained with the prominent club for more than a decade. Even though he played for Leeds longer, Radebe is considered a Kaizer Chiefs legend.

Itumeleng Khune

There’s only one goalkeeper on the list, and that’s of course Itumeleng Khune. Khune wasn’t even a teenager when he became a member of the Kaizer Chiefs organization, joining the youth program in 1999. Interestingly enough, Khune started as a striker but was struggling to keep up and became the team’s ball boy. Trying to keep loose balls from reaching the crowd, Khune showed natural goalkeeping abilities and he changed positions.

In 2004, Khune was moved up to the senior squad in his new position and he spent the first couple of years as a backup. Finally, in 2007, Khune became the regular goaltender and wouldn’t give up the position. Khune has started in well over 250 matches for Khune during his long career and became the goalkeeper of the South African national team starting in 2008. “Spider-Man” has won the PSL title three times and was the PSL Footballer of the Year in 2012-13.

Neil Tovey

Pretoria native Neil Tovey is the only player on the list who didn’t start his professional football career with Kaizer Chiefs. Instead, the defender began with Virginia United’s youth program but made his professional debut with Durban City. Tovey remained with the club for four years and had nearly 175 league appearances before making his way to AmaZulu. Following another three years there, Tovey made his way to Kaizer Chiefs.

Tovey stuck with the club for the final nine years of his career, playing for nearly the entirety of the 1990s. During that time, Tovey scored 27 goals and made over 340 appearances. While Kaizer Chiefs didn’t win the PSL during Tovey’s time, the club still finished in second place three years in a row and won the National Soccer League twice. In 1996, the club won the Coca-Cola Challenge, as well.

Doctor Khumalo

If you want to know where Khumalo got his Doctor moniker, it’s because his full name is Theophilus Doctorson Khumalo. Khumalo, a Soweto native, started his youth career with Moroka Swallows before heading to Kaizer Chiefs in 1986. After a brief stint in the youth program, he made his professional debut in 1987, remaining part of the squad for his entire 17-year career.

Khumalo made 397 of his 444 career appearances with Kaizer Chiefs having been loaned out to Ferro Carril Oeste for four matches and the Columbus Crew for 43. Khumalo scored 30 times during his Kaizer Chiefs career. The highlight came at the end of his career, with Khumalo finally winning the Premier Soccer League title. He also won a trio of National Soccer League titles before his 2004 retirement.

Marks Maponyane

Marks Maponyane takes the top spot on the list, and he proved to be a true Renaissance man during his career. Hailing from Meadowlands, Maponyane started with the Shamrocks youth program before joining Kaizer Chiefs and making his professional debut in 1981. He spent a decade with the club, scoring 85 goals in nearly 200 league appearances.

Maponyane was a big-time snowboarder during his playing days and was even holding down a full-time job while playing football. He was named the Sexiest Man of the Year by Cosmopolitan Magazine and was a legend who ended up with the all-time club scoring record. Maponyane continued to play for seven years after leaving in 1991, including a long stint with Orlando Pirates.

Every tennis player’s dream is to one day reach a grand slam tournament and take on the best of the best with millions in prize money up for grabs. Even making it to the first round is a massive accomplishment, while making it to the final is something only a handful of players get to do. In those finals matches, there have been some all-time tennis classics that have created some of the best moments in the sport’s history.

Let’s take a look at five of those matches that molded grand slam history in the men’s singles side of things. Between upsets and legendary performances from equally matched players, these matches have withstood the test of time.

McEnroe vs. Lendl (French Open 1984)

By the time 1984 came around, the peak of John McEnroe was coming toward the end while Ivan Lendl’s peak was just beginning. The two eras of men’s tennis overlapped in 1984 when they dominated throughout the season. This included the 1984 French Open with McEnroe coming in as the top seed while Lendl was right behind him. 

McEnroe looked like he was going to cruise to the French Open title, winning the first two sets 6-3, 6-2. Lendl wasn’t ready to give up, though, winning the third set 6-4. He then forced a fifth set thanks to a 7-5 win. McEnroe, who had not lost yet during the season, was pushed to the brink, and Lendl came out on top with a 7-5 win in the final set, marking the transition of one era to another.

Agassi vs. Ivanisevic (Wimbledon 1992)

A majority of the matches on the list come from the Wimbledon Championships, as it seems that players end up bringing their A-game for the historic event. The 1992 Wimbledon Championships were no exception, In that edition, not many people expected a final consisting of Croatian Goran Ivanisevic and American Andre Agassi as they were ranked eighth and 12th, respectively. However, that’s exactly what the crowd got.

Each man knocked a fellow legend out of the semifinals, with Agassi beating John McEnroe in straight sets while Ivanisevic defeated Pete Sampras in four. Ivanisevic jumped out to an early lead over Agassi, but the American won the next two sets. Ivanisevic forced a fifth set thanks to a 6-1 win, and in the final set, Agassi came out on top 6-4. It marked the beginning of Agassi’s dominance throughout the 1990s, giving him his first major title.

Djokovic vs. Nadal (Australian Open 2012)

We didn’t want to feature a single player more than once or twice, otherwise, the entire list would probably be Rafael Nadal thanks to his epic matches against some of the all-time greats. The first of the two Nadal matches that we’ll feature is from the 2012 Australian Open. Nadal was the second-seeded player in the tournament with Novak Djokovic in the top spot. The two were on a collision course (a common occurrence) and met in the finals.

The match was back-and-forth the entire way, with Nadal winning the first set 7-5. Djokovic answered back with 6-4 and 6-2 set wins himself. Nadal needed a win in the fourth set and did just that by winning a tiebreaker 7-6. However, Djokovic came up big in the final set, winning 7-5 to take the title after a nearly six-hour match, giving Djokovic his fifth major title.

Federer vs. Nadal (Wimbledon 2008)

Novak Djokovic isn’t the only major rival that Rafael Nadal has had throughout his career. He and Roger Federer formed one of the all-time greatest rivalries in tennis history. It was hard to narrow it down to just one finals match that the two had against each other, but the 2008 Wimbledon Championships final ranks number one for most tennis experts. The two men came in as the top seeds and stormed through the competition to meet for the title.

Nadal came out hot with 6-4 wins in the first two sets. Federer then needed a tiebreaker in the third and fourth sets to force a fifth. This time, though, Nadal would stand strong, earning a 9-7 win to give him the title after a grueling 4 hours and 48 minutes marathon. 

Bjorg vs. McEnroe (Wimbledon 1980)

Speaking of great tennis rivalries, the original big rivalry that caught worldwide attention was between Swede Bjorn Borg and American John McEnroe. The two had a lot of epic battles, but most agree that their meeting at the end of the 1980 Wimbledon Championships ranks as the best in the rivalry and perhaps the best match in tennis history. 

McEnroe dominated the first set, but Bjorg answered back with set wins of 7-5 and 6-3 to give him the edge. The fourth set saw a marathon tiebreaker with McEnroe finally coming out on top. In the deciding set, though, Bjorg got the best of McEnroe with an 8-6 win, giving him his fifth straight major title.

When people think about tennis players, their minds tend to go immediately toward singles players, but there’s a lot of interest and money to be made in doubles play. Throughout tennis history, there have been some truly dominant teams, and that includes the current ATP era of tennis where some players found the yin to their yang.

Many players who end up going into doubles are mid-level singles players, and finding a partner you gel with can propel you to a top global ranking. Let’s look at some of those duos who have found unprecedented success, ranking the top five ATP doubles teams in history.

Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh

Representing the Netherlands, Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh had moderate success as singles players with Haarhuis having a winning percentage of just over .500 while Eltingh was below that mark. As a duo, though, they were one of the best in tennis history. Together, Haarhuis and Eltingh won 39 titles, including several majors.

Their first grand slam came at the 1994 Australian Open, and later that year they combined to win the US Open. Haarhuis and Eltingh went on to win a total of six grand slams, including a pair of Australian and French Opens, each. “We know each other through and through,” Eltingh said. “That is precisely why it is perhaps easier for us to tell each other the truth. Paul can advise or point out things to do differently.”

Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles

While the other doubles teams on the list are from the same country, Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles are from very different countries. Nestor, a Canadian, had 11 different partners and won 91 doubles titles, but most of his success came from Bahamas native Mark Knowles. Neither man reached the top 50 in the singles rankings but were number one in doubles.

Together, Nestor and Knowles won 40 team titles including three grand slams. Their first major came in the 2002 Australian Open, which was followed up by the 2004 US Open and eventually the 2007 French Open.  Interestingly enough, Nestor and Knowles have squared off against other once in a singles competition. The match occurred in 1997 with Nestor coming out on top in four sets.

Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal

The second and final European team on the list is comprised of Spaniards Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal. The duo ranks third all-time in titles with 44, while Sanchez won another six without Casal. As singles competitors, Sanchez and Casal were quite accomplished, with the former reaching number seven in the rankings.

What might come as a surprise is that the two won just a pair of grand slam titles in the 1988 US Open and 1990 French Open. Since their playing days came to an end, the two have opened up a tennis academy that has helped train some of the top players in tennis. “Without the training, you can’t succeed,” Sanchez said. “Rafael Nadal trains 90 percent of the time and plays in tournaments only 10 percent of the time.”

Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde

Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde were tennis celebrities and the duo was known simply as The Woodies throughout much of their careers. Together, they won 61 ATP titles including 11 majors. Wimbledon was where they dominated, with The Woodies winning six of them. In 2010, the team was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame and have their statues sitting at Melbourne Park.

Sadly, unlike the other doubles teams on the list, Woodbridge and Woodforde don’t talk to each other much after their careers. “I guess the Woodies drifted into the background for him and he’s developing his own brand,” Woodforde said. He added that “We don’t have a lot to talk about these days…I would love to be able to play some more of the legends events together, but it’s just at a position…it is where it is right now.”

Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan

You’d think that a bulk of the most successful doubles teams in tennis history would be related, but there’s only one set of brothers, and they’re the most successful by a wide margin. The Americans are identical twins born in 1978 and dominated throughout their careers, spending a record 438 weeks as the top-ranked duo. 

The list of accomplishments is amazing, with 119 titles won while playing together, putting them nearly 60 titles ahead of The Woodies. Among those titles are their 16 grand slam wins, including six at the Australian Open. The Bryan brothers are also the only doubles team to hold all four grand slam titles in a calendar year.