The day is fast approaching... Kaizer Chiefs will take on Mamelodi Sundowns in a league encounter. Against the backdrop of the thorough thrashing by the hands of Sundowns, one can only think that Chiefs walk into this game with their tails between their legs.
The standout performance in the TKO final was the man between the sticks – Denis Onyango, the man was by all means impenetrable...
This proved that a 'keeper can determine a game. Chiefs and Sundowns have historically been famous for hoarding the country's best keeping talent, so, today, we look at the "what if" effect; what if Chiefs or Sundowns were granted one wish to bring back one of their keepers from the past.
Who would be the best man for the job?
Let's take a look at Sundowns history books first;
- Brian Baloyi
"Spiderman" interestingly played for both Chiefs and Sundowns. The penalty stopping specialist went from hero to zero in the eyes of Chiefs fans when he moved to Sundowns and represented the Brazilians for a further 75 caps.
- Andre Arendse
Often the No.1 for Bafana ahead of Brian Baloyi, Arendse made 45 appearances for Sundowns, despite having a shocking moment in the 2002 World Cup, where he botched an attempted one handed save against Spain's Raul that saw Bafana eventually lose 3-2 and crash out of the group stages.
- Calvin Marlin
The man from Port Elizabeth represented Bafana 16 times and Sundowns 73 times, and was the first choice keeper for Bafana's 2006 African Nations Cup campaign in Egypt.
- Jackson Mabokgwane
The Brazilians also had the recent Bafana captain in their ranks at the tender age of 18, although he was not a regular. Would he be missed now?
Next, let's see the cream of the Chiefs goalkeeping crop:
- Brian Baloyi
Worth mentioning again, "Spiderman" played over 338 games for Chiefs and dazzled fans for over a decade with his electric moves and ecstatic hairstyles.
- Gary Bailey
The former Manchester United and England star decided to end his career in the colors of the Amakhosi. A world famous goalkeeper who played almost 300 games in the English Premier League, to say he was an asset to Kaizer Chiefs would be an understatement.
- Rowen Fernandez
Fernandez was one of the true greats during his tenure for Kaizer Chiefs, the man with the spikey hair represented Amakhosi 114 times before moving to Arminia Bielefeld. Interestingly, Fernandez even scored two goals in the 2006/07 season: one of them, famously, against Brian Baloyi in open play when he pounced on a rebound of a blocked penalty attempt.
So there it is, will this week's game be a tale where the keepers are the heroes or the villains? Will Onyango have another screamer or was his last performance against Chiefs a one-hit-wonder? Would Chiefs like to recall any of the keepers from the past or are Brilliant Khuzwayo and Itumeleng Khune better than the rest?
Which of these keepers do you think either of these teams miss the most? Let us know your thoughts.
