Thanks a mil: Minnows Milford fixed some wrongs with theirCup win over Chiefs, proving lower tier has talent
Milford’s greatest moment is being turned into a national state of emergency.
Everything about this situation is what the Nedbank Cup is all about. It’s the beauty of football.
The story of the underdog.
This has all the ingredients of this season’s key stories that can inspire generations to come.
There’s been tremendous efforts from the sponsors to manufacture opportunities to unearth rough diamonds and bridge the gap to the pro ranks.
This platform has launched so many careers in South African football, but the instability of its amazing efforts has been as the result of the changing chairs of the corporate world.
Fans, for me, must take much of the blame for not showing up and adding their voice to these moments.
It was empty there at the ‘magnificent Calabash’ commercially known as the FNB Stadium.
Kaizer Chiefs as the host club, a stones throw from Soweto their supposed “home”.
Kanti, where were all those fans on Sunday when their club needed them to intimidate the visitors from Richards Bay?
Amakhosi have been on the disappointed side of lower division teams quite a few times before.
The #NedbankCup round of 16 fixtures have been confirmed. 👇 pic.twitter.com/ghBDg52uz0
— Nedbank Sport (@nedbanksport) February 26, 2024
Famously by Baroka FC, a moment that helped shape and position the club as specialists in polishing raw talent. Players and coaches.
You can go down the years and you’ll see that “miracles” such as these are what the Nedbank Cup is all about.
It’s all a sign of just how close things are between the PSL clubs in the different divisions.
For sure there’s pedigree and such, but after that it’s anybody’s game in the Nedbank Cup.
It also speaks to how inconsistent our recruitment systems are here in Mzansi.
Season after season, the Nedbank Cup exposes this with the unearthing of top talents.
120’ (After Penalties) | #CHI 0 (4) : 0 (5) #MIL
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) February 25, 2024
Full time score: Kaizer Chiefs 0 (4) : 0 (5) Milford FC#Amakhosi4Life #NedbankCup #Khosified pic.twitter.com/Guhw8gcoyI
Milford’s victory was proof once again of just how thin the margins are if talent in our country were to be systematically nurtured.
We should be celebrating the underdogs’ victory but remain mindful of the underlying issue of this underdog playing one division below Chiefs.
The differences in terms of exposure are incredible.
For a lot of the Milford guys, the Nedbank Cup is the only top tier tournament they’ve played in ever.
Their goalkeeper Siphamandla Hleza, the player that runs the least on the pitch, admitted to being exhausted because the levels were nothing he and some of his teammates had been exposed to before.
Milford FC coach Xanti Pupuma reflects after their Nedbank Cup win over Kaizer Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/VfMN5CwtJl
— Mahlatse Mphahlele (@BraMahlatse) February 25, 2024
Hleza said on Radio 2000: “I’m so tired after last night performance, especially because we were playing at night. Most of us were playing for the first time at our national stadium and it was a dream come true for us.
“Playing Chiefs was an opportunity we couldn't miss. That's why most of us pushed so hard. Even me I, was injured, I played with a dislocated finger, my left thumb. I didn’t even train the whole week . I only joined the team for training on Friday and was just using my feet.”
Meanwhile, the Soweto giants contest in two other knockout cup tournaments in a season.
They get the premium in terms of fitness and wellness and obviously never ever have to worry about boots and other pro footballer essentials.
Chiefs have been the benchmark of what a top PSL club should be.
They are definitely who they think they are in terms of reputation.
It’s gone completely left for the most part on the field of play however.
The red flags for me were when Amakhosi let Simba Marumo slip from their fingers and join Sundowns, after doing a whole cover shoot in Chiefs gear.
Marumo was returning from Italy as part of the new generation of top SA talents and was exactly what Chiefs needed at the time with Shaun Permal as their true goal-scoring option.
They also let Brian Baloyi walk for free and sign a big contract and the failed deals that followed thereafter including Edward Manqele, all joining Sundowns.
Those were signs that while there’s pedigree, money does indeed talk.
They got lucky with Eric Mathoho because he was set on joining them to fulfill a childhood and family dream.
They almost lost the legendary Itumeleng Khune at some stage because of image rights.
Andile Jali has also confirmed recently on Marawa Sports on 947 that Chiefs obsess so much about the image rights, it’s also part of the reason he didn’t join them.
There’s been a lot of top players that say they wanted to go to Chiefs but the deal is not going through because of the club’s commercial policies and other non-football matters.
Milford fixed the country in my opinion because clubs such as Chiefs are guilty of keeping clubs like Milford down there in the wilderness of lower division football.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za
Voice Sports Team