MTN8 Team Profile: Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs will hope to herald in a new era of success as coach Gavin Hunt takes the helm, with his first game in charge a home MTN8 quarterfinal against tricky Maritzburg United on October 18.

It had seemed as though they would finally break the longest trophy drought in the club’s illustrious 50-year history last season when they held a commanding lead in the league, but failed to fire in the bio-bubble and allowed Mamelodi Sundowns to haul them in.

For the moment they remain hampered by a transfer ban they hope will be overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport any day now, leaving Hunt to work with largely the same players as last season.

LAST SEASON AT A GLANCE

League Position: 2nd

League Record: P30 W17 D6 L7 GF48 GA27

MTN8: -

Telkom Knockout: Semifinals

Nedbank Cup: Last 16

HEAD COACH

Gavin Hunt

Hunt finally gets his chance to coach one of South Africa’s ‘Big Three’ clubs but with that comes the expectation of silverware and he will get an immediate chance to end Chiefs’ five-year drought in the MTN8.

It is a little surprising, perhaps, give his tremendous success down the years that Hunt has only ever won this competition once, with BidVest Wits in 2016 when they overwhelmed Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 in the final.

But he will see this as a real opportunity to get the AmaKhosi fans behind him early in his tenure, especially after the disappointment of last season when the club let the league title slip in the dying minutes of the season.

PSL ERA MTN8 RECORD

Chiefs will make a return to the MTN8 competition after missing out in 2019 when they finished a disappointing ninth in the league the campaign before.

Their previous success in the competition came in 2014, the latest of their 15 wins that makes them comfortably the most successful club in the long history of the top eight tournament.

Since then they have been dumped out in the quarterfinals in two of their last three entries, before making the semifinals in 2018, when they lost to SuperSport United.

2018: Semifinals

2017: Quarterfinals

2016: Quarterfinals

2015: Final

2014: Winners

2013: Semifinals

2012: Quarterfinals

2011: Final

2010: Semifinals

2009: Semifinals

2008: Final

2006: Winners

2005: Quarterfinals

2004: Final

2003: Quarterfinals

2001: Winners

2000: Semifinals

1996: Quarterfinals

TRANSFERS

IN – None

OUT – Kabelo Mahlasela (released), George Maluleka (Mamelodi Sundowns), Joseph Malongoane (TTM)

PLAYER TO WATCH

Khama Billiat

By his own admission Chiefs have not seen the best of Billiat in an AmaKhosi jersey, but there is no doubt he has magic in his boots and the arrival of Hunt could be the catalyst for a rise in form.

The Zimbabwe international was not helped by the style of play under former coach Ernst Middendorp, and while Hunt likes his teams to be direct as well, they have always been sides that create chances.

Chiefs invested a lot in Billiat when they brought him in from Sundowns in 2017 and he will feel the time is now to repay that faith.