After Kaizer Chiefs missed out on the MTN8 for the fourth time in the PSL era, Soccer Laduma looks at how they have responded in the subsequent seasons minus the top eight tournament.
Chiefs will be conspicuous with their absence in the MTN8 after they finished ninth in the Betway Premiership standings last campaign.
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Amakhosi head coach Nasreddine Nabi improved the team, statistically in the league, only by one position, after the Soweto giants ended up in tenth place in the 2023/24 term, their worst finish in the PSL era.
The other times Chiefs finished out of the top eight was in the 2006/07 campaign where they ended up in ninth spot and also in the 2018/19 term where they were in a similar position at the business end.
Motivated to bounce back, the Glamour Boys finished sixth in the 2007/08 campaign, in response to their failure to qualify for the top eight a season prior.
Amakhosi, however, appeared to be more hungry as they won the inaugural Telkom Knockout in the same season in 2007 after beating Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties in the final.
Although Chiefs only reached the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup after they were knocked out by eventual champions Sundowns.
The Glamour Boys were also spirited in the 2019/20 campaign, a season after missing out on the MTN8, after leading the Premiership table for the majority of the campaign but were pipped to the title on the final matchday by Masandawana, ultimately finishing second, which was a massive improvement nonetheless.
Amakhosi, however, could not get past the Nedbank Cup last 16 after a penalty shootout defeat to Highlands Park.
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After a worst finish in the 2023/24 campaign, Chiefs rallied last season to ultimately restore some pride after winning the 2024/25 Nedbank Cup, especially after a quarter-final exit in the Carling Knockout to The Brazilians.
Judging by the stats of Amakhosi a season after missing out on the MTN8, Nabi's charges could be set to claim silverware or impress in some way or another, as they enter the 2025/26 campaign as wounded lions, carrying the momentum of winning the Nedbank Cup.
