Amakhosi win inaugural Home of Legends Cup
Kaizer Chiefs added the second trophy to the Nasreddine Nabi era by overcoming Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties, following a 0-0 draw in the final of the inaugural Home of Legends Cup at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.
With the scores level at 4-4 after five penalties each, the shootout went into sudden death and goalkeeper, Brandon Petersen, produced a crucial save first-up to allow Mdu Mdantsane to convert his spot-kick to win it 5-4.
Coach Nabi himself was absent, recuperating from knee surgery, so his trusted lieutenants, Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, took charge of guiding the team to glory on the day.
Amakhosi booked their spot in the final earlier in the day with a consummate 2-0 win over Lamontville Golden Arrows. Mfundo Vilakazi got the Glamour Boys off to a flying start, scoring in the 6th minute before Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, celebrating his 25th birthday, struck a peach of a goal five minutes into the second half of a match dominated by Chiefs, who created numerous chances throughout the 90 minutes.
Masandawana had also needed to go through a penalty shootout to advance from their semifinal, edging past Chippa United 5-3 , after they drew 1-1 in regulation time.
The final was a cagey affair, as both teams looked to conserve energy, having already played a full match. Yet, the technical team can take many positives from the authority with which the team outclassed Arrows and then matched Sundowns stride for stride without taking a backward step. The experience will breed belief and confidence which will serve them well in future encounters.
