Chiefs seek Cup winners glory

The chiefs want their name on the Nelson Mandela Cup

Inter Clube (Angola) v Kumbo Strikers, Luanda, Saturday, KO 1430gmt
Kaizer Chiefs (SA) v Club Africain, Rustenburg, Sunday, KO 1500gmt

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Kaizer Chiefs are one of South Africa's most successful teams but continental glory still eludes them.

However, this weekend they hope to move a step closer to changing that as they contest the semi-final of the African Cup Winners' Cup.

Eliminated in the second round of the 1993 African Champions League and 2000 CAF Cup, Chiefs are faring much better this year.

They host Club Africain of Tunisia this weekend in the first leg of a Cup Winners' Cup semi-final.

Most clubs on the continent can but gaze enviously at the success, popularity and financial health of the Johannesburg football club formed in 1970 by national star Kaizer Motaung, who is now chairman.

Nomvete was a big loss for the Chiefs

But Chiefs cannot claim a place among the African elite until they have conquered the continent and each South African club dearly wants to be the first to lift a trophy which honours their former president, Nelson Mandela.

Jomo Cosmos in 1993 and Orlando Pirates in 1999 reached the semi-finals and it is going to take a special effort for Chiefs to move a step closer to glory as Club Africain are formidable foes.

Match-winner

While Chiefs squeezed past one Egyptian club, Ismailia, on away goals in the quarter-finals, Club eliminated another, holders Zamalek, 3-2 on aggregate after a second-leg thriller.

Club Africain are equally desperate for the Cup Winners Cup, having finished runners-up in two of three previous appearances, and the Tunis club possess a potential match winner in striker Amdy Marzouki.

His goal four minutes from the final whistle toppled Zamalek after Karim Rhimi had struck either side of half-time to soften up the battle-hardened Cairo giants.

Solid in defence and creative in midfield, Chiefs lack a proven finisher since the departure of national team striker Siyabonga Nomvete to Italian Serie A club Udinese.

In the other semi-final Inter Luanda, who slammed eight goals past Olympic Bamako of Mali and four past Niger Tornadoes of Nigeria at home, host Kumbo Strikers, a Cameroon club that has not conceded a goal.

Inter are hoping to become only the third Angolan club to reach a continental final, while Strikers could make their mark after only being formed four years ago.

Success for Inter would complete an amazing year for coach Oliveira Goncalves, who took Angola's under-20 team to the African title earlier this year and then a quarter-final place at the world championships.