Posted in News on Aug 20, 2010.
Chiefs, as a result of their third place finish in the Absa Premiership last season, face Celtic, who ended off the 2009/2010 season in 6th spot. Celtic have been rebuilding their team in the off season, with a host of players leaving while they have included six newcomers and have a new coach in the form of Clinton Larsen.
The Amakhosi first won the MTN 8 under one of its previous guises, the BP Top Eight Competition, in 1974 and have won it more than any other club in the country. The game against Celtic also marks Chiefs' first official league or cup game of the 2010/2011 season and winning this match will help kick off the Amakhosi’s season on a winning note.
Since the inception of the PSL in 1996/1997, Chiefs and Celtic have clashed in Cup Competition on five occasions, with the Amakhosi pretty much holding sway, winning four of those encounters. The only loss suffered by Chiefs to Celtic in a Cup game was in this same competition in 2005/2006 and is the only meeting between the clubs in the PSL era in the MTN 8 competition.
Despite taking the lead in spectacular fashion, with the Ghanaian Louis Agyemang scoring a wonderful goal from long range in the second minute of that 2005 clash, Celtic launched a comeback and defeated Chiefs 2-1.
Since then Chiefs have had a pretty good run in the competition, walking off triumphantly during the 2006/2007 tournament, as well as finishing as the winners in 2008/2009 season, the first year the competition was known as the MTN 8.
Over recent years a rivalry has developed between Chiefs and Celtic, with fans on both ends trying to out-sing and out-dance one another whenever the teams meet, which makes their clashes ever more colourful and interesting.
The Amakhosi will be hoping history has no bearing on this game but will be hoping for a repeat of the result that saw them defeat Celtic 1-0 during the last Cup clash between the teams, which was in a Telkom Knock Out Cup last four encounter in the 2007/2008 season. Gerald Sibeko scored the only goal during Chiefs' victory on that Saturday afternoon in Mafikeng on November 10, 2007.
For Chiefs, the fact that they have a strong core of their team, who have pretty much been together for the past two seasons, will count in their favour as they look to get the new season off the ground in the best possible way, which will be a convincing win over Celtic and progression to the last four of the MTN 8.
Chiefs Vs Celtic Cup games Head to Head Since 1996/1997
BOB Save Super Bowl ¼ Final 1996/1997
Celtic 0 – 3 Kaizer Chiefs
Rothmans Cup 1st Round 1997/1998
1st Leg Celtic 2 – 2 Kaizer Chiefs
2nd Leg Kaizer Chiefs 2 – 0 Celtic (Chiefs win 4-2 on aggregate)
BOB Save Super Bowl ¼ Final 2000/2001
Celtic 0 – 5 Kaizer Chiefs
2005/2006 SAA Supa 8 ¼ Final
Kaizer Chiefs 1 – 2 Celtic
Telkom Knock Out Cup ½ Final 2007/2008
Kaizer Chiefs 1 – 0 Celtic
