Sometimes it's easier to live in a fantasy world than face harsh reality. When Kaizer Chiefs lost to Royal AM in 2021, it was like an April Fool's joke in winter. I blamed Covid-19 for turning the lion into a sheep.
Unfortunately, I can't do the same after the 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns. I wonder what was worse – losing to a team whose chairman is a wannabe DJ or to a loudmouth team like Sundowns who will never make you forget the loss? Both hurt.
It's time to accept the Phefeni Glamour Boys are just another ordinary soccer team in the PSL. The famous gold and black strip that introduced us to Sputla Nhlapo, Peta Bala'c, Teenage Dladla, Chippa Molatedi, Jingles Perreira, Ace Ntsoelenge, Jan "Malombo" Lechaba, the Tovey brothers Mark and Neil, KKK Mthimkhulu, Ryder Mofokeng, Scara Thindwa, Thabo "Tsiki Tsiki" Mooki, Jabu Pule, the list is endless, is history.
The Chiefs I watched on Saturday is a shadow of great teams led by Ted Dimitru and Jeff Butler. The Chiefs that didn't live on handouts and leftovers from other teams. Chiefs that were pioneers by bringing new talent to SA. The trendsetters and not followers.
This new Chiefs have no character. As my father used to tell us, the word "losers" did not exist in Chiefs lingo. Even when losing they never stopped playing. If you watched, Real Madrid, trailing with two goals in the Champion League semifinal against Pep Guardiola's Man City, never gave up until the final minute.
This is what Tottenham Hotspurs under Antonio Conte did against Chelsea by salvaging a draw when all gave up. It takes character to never give in. Like Paul Newman character in the 1967 classic movie Cool Hand Luke, a stubborn fellow who kept coming back. This is how Chiefs were.
They kept fighting until the end. They never gave up on their followers. This is what made them special. Stubborn fighters who never quit on their dreams are a rarity. They inspire the nation to keep going in tough times. You keep pushing until doors open.
The modern Kaizer Chiefs have lost the will to fight. They look tired. Terms like "going back to the drawing board" or "road under construction" are our futile attempts to accept the reality. The past is gone. The mighty is not mighty anymore. All that remains is the name. I guess every sentence has a full stop.
Dr Lucas Ntyintyane, email
READER LETTER | Chiefs are now just another ordinary team in the PSL
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images/Getty Images
Sometimes it's easier to live in a fantasy world than face harsh reality. When Kaizer Chiefs lost to Royal AM in 2021, it was like an April Fool's joke in winter. I blamed Covid-19 for turning the lion into a sheep.
Unfortunately, I can't do the same after the 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns. I wonder what was worse – losing to a team whose chairman is a wannabe DJ or to a loudmouth team like Sundowns who will never make you forget the loss? Both hurt.
It's time to accept the Phefeni Glamour Boys are just another ordinary soccer team in the PSL. The famous gold and black strip that introduced us to Sputla Nhlapo, Peta Bala'c, Teenage Dladla, Chippa Molatedi, Jingles Perreira, Ace Ntsoelenge, Jan "Malombo" Lechaba, the Tovey brothers Mark and Neil, KKK Mthimkhulu, Ryder Mofokeng, Scara Thindwa, Thabo "Tsiki Tsiki" Mooki, Jabu Pule, the list is endless, is history.
The Chiefs I watched on Saturday is a shadow of great teams led by Ted Dimitru and Jeff Butler. The Chiefs that didn't live on handouts and leftovers from other teams. Chiefs that were pioneers by bringing new talent to SA. The trendsetters and not followers.
This new Chiefs have no character. As my father used to tell us, the word "losers" did not exist in Chiefs lingo. Even when losing they never stopped playing. If you watched, Real Madrid, trailing with two goals in the Champion League semifinal against Pep Guardiola's Man City, never gave up until the final minute.
This is what Tottenham Hotspurs under Antonio Conte did against Chelsea by salvaging a draw when all gave up. It takes character to never give in. Like Paul Newman character in the 1967 classic movie Cool Hand Luke, a stubborn fellow who kept coming back. This is how Chiefs were.
They kept fighting until the end. They never gave up on their followers. This is what made them special. Stubborn fighters who never quit on their dreams are a rarity. They inspire the nation to keep going in tough times. You keep pushing until doors open.
The modern Kaizer Chiefs have lost the will to fight. They look tired. Terms like "going back to the drawing board" or "road under construction" are our futile attempts to accept the reality. The past is gone. The mighty is not mighty anymore. All that remains is the name. I guess every sentence has a full stop.
Dr Lucas Ntyintyane, email
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