OPINION: Kaizer Chiefs must take inspiration from Manchester United and stand up for the jersey

I recently bumped into Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

It was on the morning of their clash against Cape Town City later that day, and he seemed surprised that someone had recognised him in the mall. We exchanged some pleasantries, and I wished him well in trying to turn things around at the Amakhosi after a tumultuous start.

He looked like he was carrying the world on his shoulders, but vowed to keep pushing to create new memories and end the club’s trophy drought, adding that it would take time as he tries to build a formidable team.

He went on his way, along with a few Chiefs staffers who were with him.

Unfortunately, for the Glamour Boys, they lost 1-0 to City that Sunday afternoon.

But the chance encounter with Nabi immediately brought back my memories of the glory days for Chiefs in the 1980s and 90s.

Growing up, I remember the outstanding Fani Madida up-front – supported by Shane McGregor. Madida had the all the skills on the ball, but was also a ruthless goal-scorer.

The man from Newcastle ended with 58 goals in 107 Chiefs matches, before going on to enjoy a fruitful time in Turkey for a number of clubs, including Besiktas and Antalyaspor, finishing his career with Hellenic in Cape Town.

McGregor had a similarly outstanding Chiefs career, netting 64 goals in 114 matches, and he formed a deadly combination with Madida, as the Amakhosi won the league in 1989, 1991 and 1992.

And of course, the man who made many of those goals for Madida and McGregor was the creative genius Doctor Khumalo (along with others such as Absalom ‘Scara’ Thindwa and Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse), whom I also had the pleasure of meeting before Bafana’s Afcon qualifier against South Sudan late last year.

Chiefs fans from the days of Madida, McGregor and Khumalo are yearning to walk with their chests out and jerseys on again, but it has been a long decade without any silverware.

The last time the Amakhosi ruled South African football was when they won league titles in the 2012/13 and 2014/15 seasons under Stuart Baxter. Chiefs are unlikely to win a trophy this season, although they started their Nedbank Cup campaign with a bang by beating lowly Free Agents FC.

They are fifth on the Premiership log on 21 points after 14 games, 12 behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have two games in hand over Chiefs – although only five points ahead of Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand themselves over Sundowns.

Football manager Bobby Motaung told Independent Media recently that he still believes Chiefs can win the league, and if results go their way over the next few months, it is definitely still possible.

But on Saturday, South Africa will come to a standstill when Kaizer Chiefs face Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby at the FNB Stadium. The last five encounters have seen Pirates win three, with just a lone Chiefs win and a draw.

So, the suffering continues for the Amakhosi fans on the Soweto derby front, and it’s time that they experience some real joy in the form of a win over Pirates.

Perhaps Nabi and his team must take inspiration from similarly embattled Manchester United – yes, I support Chiefs and United, so please pray for me!

Ruben Amorim’s United are languishing in 12th spot on the Premier League log, although they are doing well in the Europa League.

But while their glory days ended with the retirement of Alex Ferguson, Amorim managed to raise their game in some massive recent matches, which resulted in a 2-1 win over Manchester City, a thrilling 2-2 draw with Liverpool and an FA Cup penalty shoot-out triumph over Arsenal.

Those results bought Amorim a lot of goodwill and time from the United fans. So, if Chiefs beat high-flying Pirates, Nabi will be hailed as the Amakhosi’s saviour, and provide much-needed hope for the supporters of a better future for the Naturena-based club.

Let’s see if the players can stand up for their coach and the Chiefs jersey ...

• Ashfak Mohamed is Independent Media’s deputy sports editor. He is a veteran of sports journalism with over two decades of experience.