Proteas cricketer Aaron Phangiso cannot forget his early memories as a Kaizer Chiefs supporter, as many years ago, he had watched the Soweto giants in a dramatic Rothmans Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Soccer Laduma spoke to him about his love for the club and why he is such a big fan of the legendary Doctor Khumalo.
How did you start supporting Chiefs?
That comes from family. My dad and brother used to play football. They were big Orlando Pirates supporters. At home, we were divided. Me, my mother and sister supported Kaizer Chiefs, while my dad and brother supported Pirates. Being a bit of a mommy's boy, I went with her. That's how it kind of started.
What early memories do you have as a Chiefs supporter?
From my early days as a Chiefs supporter, I can remember the Rothmans Cup (in the late 90s). I still remember those games against Sundowns. I remember Raphael Chukwu scoring in the last minute (for Sundowns) after a mistake from Sizwe Motaung. So, I have those memories of Chukwu and Roger Feutmba in the Sundowns team. Chiefs had some proper players at the time. Those are my early memories.
Who is your all-time favourite Chiefs player?
It's Doc (Khumalo). That's my man. You look at what he achieved and the football he played, it's great. I was watching his documentary and you can see that he has come a long way with Chiefs and the contribution he made to the club. I liked his loyalty to the club. He left Chiefs to go overseas and he returned to the club when he came back to South Africa. One of the memories I have of him is the famous one against Brazil (for Bafana Bafana). He was a good player. He made a big impact on the style of play Chiefs had back in the day. He was a game changer.
Do you have a favourite player in the current team?
Not really. When you had guys like Doctor, Jabu Pule and Thabang (Lebese) from the past, I don't think I have anyone I can say is a standout performer. That's just how I feel.
What do you make of the season Chiefs have had?
To be honest, it's one of those up and down seasons. Over the years, we obviously have not been doing so well, but there are glimpses of improvement. Chiefs put us in a situation where a lot of the fans, like me, don't follow the team as much as we used to. We sort of just wait for the result to see what happened. But I think there is a bit of improvement in the team. Talking from their overall performances over the last few years, I think Chiefs have underperformed. We can do much better.
What would Chiefs need to do to bring back that interest you seem to have lost in watching their matches?
What brings back the interest and what fans obviously expect from a giant like Chiefs is trophies. There is nothing else that brings that excitement back. Trophies in the cabinet is the most important thing. Once we get that going, I think that's where the interest can come back and fans will start believing that we are getting there. We can't be a giant of South African football and not be winning trophies.
Do you think there's any hope of winning the Nedbank Cup, considering the DSTV Premiership may be out of their reach?
Look, the Nedbank Cup is one of those trophies that anyone can win. You just need to be playing good football. The way Chiefs has been playing is a bit difficult, but it would be great if the boys can pull a rabbit out of the hat. That is a cup that is there for the taking because I don't think we will be anywhere close to winning the league. If we give ourselves in the Nedbank Cup, then the fans might just get that belief.
Chiefs have had some big upsets against lower division teams in the Nedbank Cup and they are set to face Milford in the last 32. Can they avoid another embarrassing exit?
The last thing you want is to be knocked out by a lower division team. We don't underestimate any team. The beauty of the Nedbank Cup is that we have seen teams from the lower divisions doing well and perform miracles. They go as close as the final or semi-finals, so you cannot underestimate these teams. You can't think it's going to be a walkover, so let's hope it's not going to be one of those embarrassing moments for us.
