Kaizer Chiefs will look to end their current ‘curse’ against Mamelodi Sundowns when the teams meet in a Nedbank Cup semifinal at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 6pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
MATCH BACKGROUND
Chiefs have not beaten Sundowns in any competition in almost four years and will need to break that drought if they are to advance into the final and have a shot at ending their 10-year wait for a trophy.
The Amakhosi have seen off Free Agents (4-0), Chippa United (3-0) and Stellenbosch (3-1) in the Nedbank Cup to reach the semis – form which has been in stark contrast to their struggles in the Betway Premiership.
Chiefs are winless in their last four league encounters – the most recent a 1-1 draw at home to TS Galaxy last weekend – and find themselves in a lowly (by their historical standards) eighth place.
Next Kaizer Chiefs Match!
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) April 9, 2025
🏆#NedbankCup Semi-Final
⚽️Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Kaizer Chiefs
👕First Team
🗓️Sunday 13 April 2025
🏟Loftus Versfeld Stadium
🕞18h00
📺SuperSport 202
🎟R80: Ticketpro, Spar: https://t.co/MNaBAFg2TX
📢Please come early! #Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome pic.twitter.com/hKboPU334A
Sundowns, by contrast, are very much on course for a record-extending eighth successive league championship, while in the Nedbank Cup they have dispensed with Sibanye Golden Stars (5-2), Mpheni Home Defenders (2-0) and Sekhukhune United (1-0, after extra time) thus far.
The Brazilians, however, come into the clash on the back of a physically and mentally draining CAF Champions League quarterfinal tie against Esperance de Tunis, the second leg of which was played this past Tuesday in North Africa.
‘Downs secured a 0-0 draw on the night to advance 1-0 on aggregate overall, but that does not relay the tension and anxiety they would have had to endure through 90 minutes.
WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso on coming through their Champions League quarterfinal against Esperance de Tunis:
“This win is for our fans in South Africa, the Mamelodi Sundowns supporters and for the Motsepe family. They believed in us, and I’m happy we could deliver this moment for them.”
He added, “We have a tough Nedbank Cup semifinal on Sunday. First, we’ll let the players recover emotionally and physically and then we get back to work.”
Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi on trying to get through their difficult run of form:
“We think the players [in the last match against TS Galaxy] did everything they could to get the good results.
“I feel we are going through a moment of bad luck because of the lack of results. But we’re going to hang in there, everyone has to push more and work hard.”
KEY PLAYERS
Mamelodi Sundowns, Marcelo Allende
An energetic and resilient performance in midfield against Esperance de Tunis saw Marcelo Allende further underline his importance to Mamelodi Sundowns. He’ll need to recharge his batteries for the clash with Chiefs, but you can bet he will be eager to do more battle in the ‘engine room’.
Kaizer Chiefs, Inacio Miguel
The Angolan defender has scored in all of Kaizer Chiefs’ Nedbank Cup matches this season and has played a key role in bringing them to the semifinals. He will need to balance his defensive work against Sundowns’ dangerous forwards with offering a threat at the other end from set pieces.
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS
In head-to-head terms, Sundowns and Chiefs have met in 31 cup matches dating back as far as 1986.
The Amakhosi have claimed 12 wins compared to eight for the Brazilians, while 11 games have been drawn.
The teams last met in a cup match in the Carling Knockout earlier this season, with Sundowns claiming an emphatic 4-0 triumph thanks to goals from Iqraam Rayners (two), Peter Shalulile and Khuliso Mudau.
Sundowns also completed a league ‘double’ over Chiefs this season (2-1 away and 1-0 at home) and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches against the Soweto giants across all competitions – including a current live winning streak of five matches.
HEAD-TO-HEAD (SINCE 1985)
PREVIOUS CUP MEETINGS
Season Cup Result Scorers
1986 JPS 1st rd Chiefs 1-0 Sundowns Anderson (og)
1986 Mainstay qfinal Chiefs 2-3 Sundowns Shongwe, Molatedi (pen); Chitja, Chafunya, Mosimane (pen)
1987 Ohlssons sf 1st leg Sundowns 0-2 Chiefs Mthimkulu 2
1987 Ohlssons sf 2nd leg Chiefs 4-0 Sundowns Molatedi 3, Ntsoelengoe
1988 Ohlssons sf 1st leg Chiefs 1-1 Sundowns Ntsoelengoe; Chafunya
1988 Ohlssons sf 2nd leg Sundowns 1-0 Chiefs Masinga
1991 Castle qfinal Chiefs 1-0 Sundowns Khuse
1992 BP Top 8 final Chiefs 1-0 Sundowns Khuse
1993 BP Top 8 qfinal Chiefs 0-2 Sundowns Masilela
1994 BP Top 8 final Chiefs 3-2 Sundowns Nyirenda 2, Maringa; Motaung, Mudau
1995 Coca-Cola qfinal Sundowns 0-1 Chiefs Mthethwa
1995 Bob Save 2nd rd Chiefs 3-2 Sundowns Seale, Tshisevhe, Lebese; Molefe, Mudau
1997/98 Rothmans Cup final Chiefs 1-1 Sundowns Lebese; Chukwu
1997/98 Rothmans Cup final(r) Sundowns 1-1* Chiefs Chukwu; Muchichwa
1998/99 Rothmans Cup final Chiefs 2-2* Sundowns Mooki, Nomvethe; Masilela, Bapela
1999/00 Bob Save final Chiefs 1-0 Sundowns Nomvethe
2000/01 BP Top 8 3rd place Chiefs 3-2 Sundowns Pule, Nauseb 2; Meiring, B. Mnguni
2000/01 Bob Save semi Chiefs 0-2 Sundowns Chukwu 2
2001/02 BP Top 8 final Chiefs 2-2* Sundowns Zwane, Nzama; Mudau 2
2003/04 Absa Cup 1st rd Sundowns 1-3 Chiefs Jordaan; Moshoeu, Dlamini, Mendu
2005/06 Absa Cup semi Chiefs 0-0*Sundowns
2007/08 Telkom KO final Chiefs 0-0* Sundowns
2007/08 Nedbank Cup 2nd rd Chiefs 1-1**Sundowns Khenyeza; Moriri
2008/09 MTN8 final Chiefs 0-0*Sundowns
2009/10 Telkom KO qfinal Sundowns 0-1 Chiefs Masango
2012/13 MTN8 qfinal Sundowns 4-1 Chiefs Sangweni, Langerman, Mokoena, Manqele; Letsholonyane
2015/16 Telkom KO final Sundowns 3-1 Chiefs Castro, Nthethe, Kekana; Abraw
2020/21 MTN8 qfinal Sundowns 2-2** Chiefs Shalulile, Zwane; Parker, Billiat
2022/23 MTN8 semi, 1st leg Chiefs 1-1 Sundowns Castillo; Mudau
2023/23 MTN8 semi, 2nd leg Sundowns 2-1 Chiefs Shalulile 2; Du Preez (pen)
2024/25 Carling KO qfinal Chiefs 0-4 Sundowns Rayners 2 (1 pen), Shalulile, Mudau
*Chiefs won on penalties
**Sundowns won on penalties
CUP RECORD
P W D L GF GA
Chiefs 31 12 11 8 40 39
Sundowns 31 8 11 12 39 40
LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS
Season Result Scorers
2019/20 Sundowns 0-2 Chiefs Nurkovic 2
2019/20 Chiefs 0-1 Sundowns Sirino
2020/21 Chiefs 0-3 Sundowns Shalulile, Erasmus, Zwane (pen)
2020/21 Sundowns 1-2 Chiefs Sirino; Lebusa (og), Zuma
2021/22 Sundowns 2-0 Chiefs Kekana, Shalulile
2021/22 Chiefs 1-1 Sundowns Nange; Modiba
2022/23 Sundowns 4-0 Chiefs Sirino, Shalulile 2, Nasir
2022/23 Chiefs 0-1 Sundowns Maema
2023/24 Sundowns 2-1 Chiefs Ribeiro Costa, Maema; Du Preez
2023/24 Chiefs 1-5 Sundowns Shabalala (pen); Matthews 2, Esquivel, Ribeiro, Lorch
2024/25 Chiefs 1-2 Sundowns Chivaviro; Ribeiro, Rayners
2024/25 Sundowns 1-0 Chiefs Ribeiro
OVERALL RECORD (all competitions)
TOTAL
P W D L GF GA
Chiefs 111 41 32 38 125 124
Sundowns 111 38 32 41 124 125