Kaizer Chiefs legend Lucky Stylianou has commented on the team’s chances of winning silverware this season following their big win on the weekend.
Chiefs stunned the country on Sunday evening with a gritty and determined performance that saw them knock out favourites Mamelodi Sundowns, booking their spot in the final.
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The result has reignited hope among Amakhosi faithful, with Stylianou one of many backing the Glamour Boys to go all the way.
Stylianou believes the Soweto giants have what it takes to end their decade-long trophy drought when they face rivals Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final on May 10 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Speaking exclusively to the Siya crew, Stylianou praised the progress made under current head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who has brought renewed structure and purpose to the team.
“I was on radio with BBK (Bareng-Batho Kortjaas, seasoned sports journalist) about two weeks ago,” said Stylianou. “And people asked me, must we change the coach? That was before this result. They were asking, 'must we change the governing body?' What's going wrong?' I said, 'nothing’s going wrong'. It's been an incorrect selection of players, coaches and so on.”
He continued, “They asked, what do you do now? I said, 'leave it as it is', because I see a big sign of improvement. I was on radio about two weeks ago, stating quite clearly that I was most impressed with the chances they created in the two games prior to this match, because they had about 17 shots.”
With the final looming, Stylianou believes Chiefs can finally lift silverware after years of frustration, and notes that derby games like these are always a level playing field.
“I’m happy with the progress. Have you got a chance? Of course, we’ve got a chance of winning the final. And I’ve always said, Chiefs vs Pirates, there is no favourite. There’s never been a favourite. Even in my time, I think we went years and years, and Pirates never beat us. But when you’ve got the Jomo Sonos and all those players to compete against, they can turn it around really quickly. But there’s been no favourite for the finals,” he said.
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Stylianou acknowledged that Pirates may have had the upper hand in recent seasons but emphasised that form often counts for little in such big games.
“Never mind that Pirates have done better than Chiefs, and they have, in derbies and rivalries, the players raise their game. They know they’ve got to raise their game,” he concluded.
