Kaizer Chiefs’ Trophy drought deepens, as it’s now nine years without silverware, according to Kick Off.
Chiefs are grappling with a deepening trophy drought as the 2024/2025 season kicks off, marking yet another chapter in their prolonged struggle for silverware. This season has only intensified their frustrations, with Chiefs failing to make an impact in major competitions. The MTN8 commenced without their participation, and they have been absent from both the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, highlighting their ongoing struggles on the continental stage.
The Nedbank Cup, which offers a gateway to continental football for the winners, also proved elusive for Chiefs as they stumbled at the first hurdle. This early exit from a key competition underscores the broader issues facing the Soweto giants, who have not seen a major trophy since May 2015.
Nine-Years: Numbers tell a grim tale
Kaizer Chiefs’ trophy drought has now extended to an alarming nine years. Over this period, they have played 270 league games without securing the Premier Soccer League title. Additionally, the team has contested another 82 cup matches during this time, yet they have not managed to clinch a single domestic cup. In stark contrast, their rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns, have amassed 17 trophies, underscoring the chasm between the two clubs in recent years.
The next significant opportunity for Chiefs to break their silverware drought will be the Carling Knockout, with the final scheduled for November 30. If they fail to win this competition, their wait for a trophy will exceed 3,500 days, pushing the gap to a staggering 114 months since their last major success. This prolonged period without silverware means that current schoolchildren, now in their second year of high school, were not even enrolled in primary school when Chiefs last won a trophy.
A history of near misses and persistent challenges
Throughout their trophyless years, Chiefs have experienced numerous near misses. They have fallen short in the league on nine occasions and have been runners-up in the MTN8 seven times, the Telkom Knockout six times, and the Nedbank Cup nine times. These near misses illustrate how close they have come to ending their drought, only to fall short each time.
To compound their challenges, no current player in the Kaizer Chiefs squad has ever won a trophy with the club. This lack of experience in winning major titles only adds to the pressure as the team continues to search for solutions to their long-standing issues.
As Kaizer Chiefs seek to turn their fortunes around, the pressure mounts for both the players and management. The upcoming season presents a critical opportunity for them to end their lengthy wait for silverware and restore their once-glorious reputation.
Stay tuned with The South African for more updates and detailed analysis as the new football season unfolds!
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