THE status of Kaizer chiefs in South African and African football at large will always be that of a “big club” but with a 10-year trophy drought set to come full circle should they not win the Nedbank Cup this season, one can also argue against them enjoying that label and status?
That looming 10-year trophy drought combined with their failure this season to beat any of the other teams that are mentioned in the “big club-debate”, should make for a great argument regarding their status.
They have lost back-to-back league games against an overwhelmingly underperforming SuperSport United side, they came out with a 1-0 loss to hometown rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby and they were thrashed 2-1 by Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the season.
@KaizerChiefs Port St John’s was Gold and Black 💛✌️ pic.twitter.com/nyisv2JABD
— Siyanda Tenza Mbangeleli (@siyandatenza17) February 24, 2025
And so should they continue to enjoy the respect of being counted among the “big clubs” when they are failing to beat other big clubs?
This weekend the once mighty Amakhosi will go to Sundowns with a mandate not only to get three league points but more about preserving their status as the country’s biggest club.
Should they lose again to Sundowns at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe on Saturday afternoon, it will be their second back-to-back loss to one of the big boys this season.
With the 2-1 they suffered in September in the same fixture still a fresh memory, it is hard to see coach Nasreddine Nabi getting them to tick against a formidable Sundowns side that is chasing an eighth straight league title.
This is the very Sundowns that has scored goals at free will against the other league’s big boys.
They recently embarrassed Pirates with a 4-1 drubbing that left most football followers making up their minds as to which name will again be the first to be engraved on the yet to be revealed Betway Premiership league trophy.
That is the very same Pirates that opened February by beating Chiefs in the controversial derby.
Before beating Pirates, Sundowns put three unanswered goals against SuperSport in the Tshwane derby.
That very SuperSport just happened to find their groove when they met Chiefs two weeks later and delivered a 4-1 win against the Sowetans.
The game against Sundowns on Sunday will be Chiefs’ second last of the season that they will be meeting one of the “big four”, unless of course they cross paths in the Nedbank Cup semi finals or final.
The argument regarding a big-club-status is obviously a divided one since the very same Chiefs overtakes even the national team Bafana Bafana when it comes to filling up the stadiums.
In fact, even with their drought they still enjoy a massive fanbase as compared to the Sundowns that has won the league uninterrupted for the past seven seasons.
But football is famously labelled as the game of opinions and one popular opinion is that “big clubs’ players must have BMT (big match temperament)”, and that is what is going to settle the big club debate for Chiefs this season, starting with the match a Atteridgeville on Saturday afternoon.
Should Chiefs lose all their matches against the league’s “big clubs” this season, they will have to understand that as much as they will remain a big brand, they will have to forgo the “big club” status, at least for now.
