Wits, Chiefs kick off Telkom KO
Bidvest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs will renew their cup rivalry in a Telkom Knockout last 16 match at the Bidvest Stadium on Friday, kick-off at 8:15pm CAT (SA, GMT+2). Live on SS4, SSHD4 and supersport.com
Wits and Chiefs have met no less than 25 times in cup competitions since 1985. The Soweto side has claimed 13 wins compared to six for the University-based team, though Wits have emerged triumphant on all three occasions that the teams have gone to penalties.
The teams’ last meeting in the Telkom Knockout was in the inaugural edition of the competition in 2006/07, with Chiefs claiming a 2-1 away win.
The Amakhosi have defeated the Clever Boys in four successive cup matches – including that 2006 TKO match. Their last cup game was in the quarterfinals of the MTN8 last season, with Chiefs winning 2-1 at home.
Overall, Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits have met in 78 league and cup matches since 1985. The Amakhosi have recorded 39 victories to the Clever Boys’ 16, while there have been 23 draws.
Wits will be looking to claim their first outright home win over Chiefs in nine years. Their last home victory came in the quarterfinals of the 2003/04 SAA Supa8.
The two clubs have already met once this season, with Chiefs winning 3-1 in a league match at Mbombela Stadium thanks to a brace from in-form striker Bernard Parker.
Wits were runners-up in last season’s Telkom Knockout, losing out to Orlando Pirates in the final after eliminating AmaZulu, Jomo Cosmos and Santos. It was their best showing in the Telkom Knockout since its inception in 2006.
Overall, the Clever Boys have played nine matches in the Telkom Knockout, recoding three wins and six defeats.
The Johannesburg side is a two-time former champion of this competition, winning it in 1985, when it was known as the John Player Special Knockout, and again in 1995 when it was the Coca-Cola Cup.
Chiefs were eliminated at the last 16 stage in last season’s Telkom Knockout, beaten 2-1 by Platinum Stars.
The Soweto side had won the two previous editions of the competition and have claimed the Telkom Knockout trophy no less than three times since its inception in 2006.
Overall, the Amakhosi have played 16 matches in the Telkom Knockout, recording nine wins, four draws and three losses. They have won all four of the penalty shootouts they have been involved in.
Kaizer Chiefs have far and away the best record in this competition down the years, lifting the cup no less than 13 times from 16 appearances in the final. Their dominance is reflected by the fact that the next best team on the honours list is Jomo Cosmos, with two titles from four final appearances.
Wits have made a steady start to the season and look in good form currently, having claimed back-to-back league wins over Maritzburg United and Golden Arrows.
Chiefs have made an excellent start to the season in the league, claiming five wins from their first seven games to sit at the top of the log. However, in the one knockout game they have played this season, they were thumped 4-1 by Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8.
