Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Mandla Masango says the excitement and buzz around the country after the win over Mamelodi Sundowns looked like a World Cup triumph.
Masango, who was part of the last Chiefs squad to lift silverware a decade ago admits the spirits of millions of Chiefs supporters were raised with the last gasp win over Sundowns to book a place in the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates.
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It’s set to be back-to-back Soweto Derbies, against the Buccaneers, but Masango says the current crop of players now have an opportunity to make the club’s supporters forget about all the hurt and frustrations, by winning the cup against the defending champions.
“You know the country is going through a lot, the Donald Trump situation, then all of a sudden Chiefs won on Sunday, the whole country erupted, where I was watching it was as if they won the World Cup, the excitement, the buzz, we needed something like that,” Masango said.
“Earlier, I had an interview with one of the radio station and then I told them that my dream prediction is that Chiefs face Pirates in a cup final.
“We have not had that in a very long time – so having the opportunity for the mighty Amakhosi to come and erase the other years of complaints from supporters, they have one 90 minutes to make everyone forget.
“For Chiefs’ history, it’s always amazing that from generation to generation, they leave a legacy behind.”
While the morale has not been higher and optimism with that historic win at Loftus Versfeld, as they lost their three previous matches against Sundowns this season, Masango admits now is not the time to be complacent, as all the efforts could still go in vain, should they not finish the 2024/25 campaign well in the league and cup final on 10 May at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“It’s a valid point [they can’t get carried away now], the focus needs to be there, it’s not all over yet, where we haven’t won anything, we just need to keep their heads on the ground, focus, work hard to achieving the goal,” Masango said.
“They are here, they just need to maintain their standard they just recently set for themselves, I think the coaches, management, know how to handle these situations.
“As players we can get carried away, and you need people to tell you to remain humble, even when achieving some feat, but continue to work hard.”
Chiefs return to league action on Saturday when they travel to Gqeberha to face Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (17h30)
