Kaizer Chiefs will host AmaZulu in the second of the MTN8 semifinals first legs on Sunday, coming up against an opponent they have traditionally dominated, but who have had their measure in more recent times.
In fact, the last four meetings have resulted in three draws and an AmaZulu win, so you could say the pendulum has swung in their direction.
That includes a clash this season in the DStv Premiership which ended 0-0 at the FNB Stadium, though Chiefs fullback Dillon Solomons missed a penalty in a game they largely dominated but could not win.
This will be just the second time these two sides have clashed in the MTN8 competition since 1985, with the last occasion taking place 28 years ago.
They clashed in the semifinals in 1994, where goals from Zambian striker Wedson Nyirenda and Dick Amukola handed Chiefs a 2-1 win. They would go on to beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 in the final that year.
The fact they have met so few times in the competition over that period is because AmaZulu’s visits to the tournament have been rare down the years, a stark reminder of their generally poor league form since the inception of the PSL.
The top eight competition is one that Usuthu have never won, the closest they came being a final appearance in 1976 when they met Chiefs.
It would all end horribly though as they lost the first leg 3-1 and the second 5-1 for a comprehensive 8-2 defeat.
Indeed, Chiefs have been dominant in matches between the pair in all competitions since 1985, winning 42 of their previous 69 encounters, with only 10 AmaZulu victories and 17 draws. Chiefs lead the scoring 116-51.
In matches played at Chiefs, it is even starker, with the AmaKhosi leading the head-to-head 23-4 and eight games drawn.
That being said, two of those Usuthu wins have come since 2020, so they have improved! Chiefs have outscored their opponents 60-18.
The teams have only met six times in cup games in close to four decades, with Chiefs having won five of those to go with a single victory for AmaZulu.
That rare win came in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup final when AmaZulu triumphed 3-1 and was in fact the last trophy that AmaZulu won.
Chiefs have not won a trophy of any kind since they lifted the league title at the end of the 2014-15 season. It is the longest barren run in the club’s illustrious history.
Chiefs may be the most successful team in the MTN8 competition with 15 wins, but the last time they tasted success in this competition was in 2014. That is also the longest they have gone without lifting the top eight since the competition was first played in 1972.
Their last final appearance was in 2015 when they lost 1-0 to Ajax Cape Town in the decider.
Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane was part of three squads at Naturena that lifted the top eight trophy during his playing days. He was with the club as a player when they claimed the silverware in 2001, 2006 and 2008.
Chiefs have reached the semifinals of the MTN8 competition on 13 occasions in the PSL era, winning seven of those, to go with six losses. That includes defeats in 2018 (against SuperSport United) and 2020 (Orlando Pirates), the last two times they were at this stage of the competition.
AmaZulu are in their first semifinal since 2009, when they lost to Durban rivals Lamontville Golden Arrows, who would go on to be champions with a thumping 6-0 final success against Ajax, still the biggest win in a South African cup final.
