Downs Vs Chiefs – When ‘Blood Brothers’ Turn Into Rivals

When Mamelodi Sundowns host Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, 13 August, the country will come to a standstill with football taking centre stage, while ‘blood brothers’ will turn into rivals. 

Match preview by David Kappel, brought to you by DStv

It will be the match between the defending champions, who bagged the last five league titles in a row, and the most supported club in Mzansi, who are aiming to finally add silverware to their trophy cabinet again this season. 

However, it will also be a match between coaches who have huge respect for each other. All four or rather five men on the sidelines will be locals, with Masandawana being led by the trio of Manqoba Mngqithi, Rulani Mokwena and Steve Komphela, while Arthur Zwane and his assistant Dillan Sheppard will be on the other side. 

The last clash between the two sides, a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium, was preceded by a guard of honour from Chiefs to Downs. But more pleasantries were exchanged before and after the tie. 

Komphela, who coached Amakhosi between July 2015 and April 2018, was seen hugging Zwane, who at the time was interim coach after replacing Stuart Baxter. Komphela and Zwane, of course, know each other from the former’s time at Naturena and both spoke very fondly of each other after the match, with Komphela calling Zwane his “blood brother”, while Zwane explained how often their paths had crossed. 

Steve Komphela hugs Arthur Zwane

‘10111’ stated that Komphela was one of his favourite defenders during his playing days, and later as assistant coach under Muhsin Ertugral during Zwane’s time as Chiefs player. At the national team, Komphela assisted Carlos Queiroz when Zwane was called into the Bafana Bafana squad and the latter explained “we bonded very well”. When Komphela was in charge of Chiefs’ first team, Zwane was in charge of the reserves, and the now-head coach recalled that both teams had often played friendlies against each other. 

But Zwane doesn’t only have a close relationship with Komphela, he is also close to Mokwena. The Masandawana co-coach, who also takes care of amateur team Black Poison, says both coaches have met each other multiple times on the sidelines of Kasi football. “I’ve got a very soft spot for him because I always thought I was the one coach that spent a lot more time in the township, watching games and coaching, until I met Arthur,” Mokwena told iDiski Times after their last clash at FNB. 

“Because everywhere I go in Soweto I bump into him, it’s crazy. I go to Meadowlands, I bump into him. I go to Kingston, I bump into him. I go to Protea South, I bump into him, I go to Braam Fisher, I bump into him. He’s a slave of this game, he is extremely committed and passionate about it. And this comes from way, way back to tell you the truth. 

“But great to see that he’s reached the level that he’s reached. He is going to become an incredible coach, extremely knowledgeable and hardworking. It’s someone that I have huge, huge regards and respect for.” 

Two students of the game 🤩

🎥 @snap_vino pic.twitter.com/HFhHYYh1Ek

— iDiski Times (@iDiskiTimes) May 11, 2022

Zwane himself was just as fond of Mokwena after both were pictured having a laugh after the 1-1 clash at FNB. “Coach Rulani, we know each other from [a while back], we’re Kasi boys, we’re from Soweto,” he said. 

“We started coaching [around the same time], while I was still playing, I started coaching. I had my own team in the ABC Motsepe League, that time it was Vodacom League. Coach Rulani, the same, growing as a young coach. So we knew each other very well and we used to sort of share things together, also in terms of players. We know most of the youngsters who are doing well in and around Soweto. We’ll meet in those tournaments that are organised in Soweto.” 

Saturday’s match will be a tough test for Zwane’s newly assembled Amakhosi side. While the defending champions only made limited transfers, adding quality over quantity, Zwane is overseeing a proper squad revamp with a much bigger turnaround. 

While Sundowns have a well-oiled machine with players who know each other and have mostly played together for at least one season, Zwane’s Chiefs will likely have four new players in the starting XI, if not more. 

Either which way this tie will swing in the end, football will write the headlines next Saturday when the blood brothers will turn into rivals once more. 

Image credit: @vino_snap