Kaizer Chiefs: PSL champions
Brad Morgan
23 May 2005
Kaizer Chiefs were crowned Premier Soccer League champions for the second year in succession in Bloemfontein on Sunday. In the end it all came together for Chiefs, but during the course of the season even the most ardent Amakhosi supporters must have felt their faith severely tested.
Along the way Chiefs trailed Orlando Pirates by as much as 11 points, but a strong run into the finish line saw them take the title by two points over their great rivals.
It was ever-so-tight, however. As the season headed towards its climax, Chiefs found themselves playing a series of must-win games, knowing that anything less than victory would end their title hopes.
Controversial win
In their third-last contest they faced Bush Bucks away from home,and it looked all over for the champions' title dream as the game entered injury time with the teams level at 3-3.
However, the referee, controversially, played an extra seven
minutes and the Amakhosi sneaked victory as David Radebe slotted from the spot after Imbabala were penalised for a hand ball infringement.
Supersport United, so often a bogey team for Chiefs, were next up, in a Wednesday night fixture. Again, it appeared that the Johannesburg-based team's dreams were slipping away as the match headed towards its conclusion with the scores level at 0-0.
However, with only two minutes left, Emmanuel "Scara" Ngobese scored a vital goal, striking from a goalmouth scramble to clinch the second last-gasp victory for Chiefs within the space of four days.
The win left the club in pole position to regain their title. They had drawn even with Pirates at the top of the log on 59 points apiece, but they enjoyed a three-goal better goal difference than the Buccaneers.
Playing away from home
However, there was one final twist to the tale. The Amakhosi would have to play their final match away from home
against Bloemfontein Celtic, while Pirates would have the advantage of tackling Bush Bucks at home.
The Phefeni Glamour Boys, though, had an advantage their Soweto rivals didn't - Zambian international striker Collins Mbesuma. In the final contest he proved to be the money man again, striking nine minutes into the second half and adding a second goal eight minutes later to guide Chiefs to a 2-0 victory.
That meant the helicopter carrying PSL CEO Trevor Phillips and the league trophy headed for Bloemfontein, because no matter what happened in the contest between Pirates and Bush Bucks the trophy was going to Chiefs once again.
Regardless, when Pirates managed only a 1-1 draw with Bucks – needing a clear four-goal victory before the start of the last games - it meant Kaizer Chiefs were the clear winners of the league, if only by two points.
Fourth title for Dumitru
For Chiefs coach Ted Dumitru it was his fourth league title, and
the second time he has led a club to back-to-back titles. The previous time he did the trick with Sundowns. He described the season as "difficult" but "marvellous".
Mbesuma, meanwhile, finished with 25 goals to claim the Golden Boot as the PSL's top goal scorer.
Both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates qualify for the African Champions League, but Chiefs are facing a three-year ban from African club competition after withdrawing from the Confederation Cup earlier this season. The Confederation of African Football will make a decision on the Amakhosi's status in June.
At the other end of the PSL table, Manning Rangers, who started the final match in last place, downed Jomo Cosmos 4-2 as Alton Meiring slotted a hat-trick. That lifted them off the bottom and earned them a place in the playoffs for the PSL against the second, third, and fourth-placed finishers from the Mvela Golden League.
Wits University were relegated following a 3-2 loss to Silver Stars.
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