IKAIZER Chiefs isengcupheni yokuqopha umlando ozoyehlisa isithunzi ngokuthi isizini ka-2023/2024 ihlale ikhunjulwa njengekuyiyona ebhacaze ukuwedlula wonke kuyona kusukela kwasungulwa i-Premier Soccer League (PSL) ngo-1996.
Ukuphela kwesizini iChiefs ingafakanga lutho ekhabetheni layo lezinkomishi bekuyichilo phambilini njengoba sekuphele iminyaka ebheke eshumini kwenzeka lokhu.
IChiefs ngelinye lamaqembu athathwa njengamakhulu eNingizimu Afrika kodwa lesi sithunzi silokhu siya ngokwehla ngenxa yemiphumela yaMakhosi kwiDStv Premiership nakweyemikhumulajezi.
Amakhosi agcina ukuqukula isicoco ngesizini ka-2014/2015 lapho athatha khona neseMTN 8 ngaphansi kwesandla sikaStuart Baxter.
Ukunqoba kweMamelodi Sundowns ngo 1-0 kwiCape Town Spurs kwiligi ngeledlule, kuqinisekise ukuthi iChiefs izoyiqeda nale sizini ingafakanga lutho ekhabetheni layo.
Lo mphumela uyikhiphe wayiqeda embangweni weligi. Kuliqiniso ukuthi izindlela zokubheka impumelelo yeqembu ngesizini ziyahluka njengoba nabantu bengafani, kodwa ukuqeda kweChiefs ngaphandle kwe-Top 8 kungaba yihlazo elesabekayo.
Ukuqeda kwiTop 8 kukufaka komunye wemiqhudelwano okulula ukuyinqoba ngenxa yobuncane bemidlalo.
Ngakho-ke ingcuphe yokuqeda kweChiefs ngaphandle kwamaqembu ayisishiyagalombili kule sizini kuyisondeza ehlazweni lokuthi le sizini ihlale ikhunjulwa njengenye ebhacaze kuyona ngendlela esabekayo.
Amasizini ka-2006/2007 neka-2018/2019 iwona asaphoxe iChiefs ukuwedlula wonke kusukela kwaqala i-PSL kwazise kuwona, yaqeda isendaweni yesishiyagalolunye.
Nakuba kula masizini womabili iChiefs yaqeda ngaphandle kweTop 8 kodwa umehluko ngeka-2006/2007 ngaphansi kwesandla, sika-Ernst Middendorp.
Kulesizini uMiddendorp wayinqobisa isicoco seSAA Super 8. Lo mqeqeshi wagcina ekhonjwe indlela, isizini yaqedelwa wuKostadin Papic.
Eka-2018/2019 iyona okusakhalwa ngayo namanje ngoba iChiefs yaqeda endaweni yesishiyagalolunye, yakwazi ukufinyelela kowamanqamu eNedbank Cup kodwa yaphucwa iqatha emlonyeni yiTS Galaxy.
Nakhona lapha Amakhosi ayeqeqeshwa uMiddendorp nokho efike maphakathi nayo ethatha izintambo kuGiovanni Solinas wase-Italy.
Njengamanje Amakhosi asendaweni yesishiyagalombili ngamaphuzu angu-30 emidlalweni yeligi engu-23.
Uma ingahluleka wukuqeda kwiTop 8, kungasho ukuthi lokhu kuzoyenza ingasondelani nakancane nokuphakamiseni indebe yomkhumulajezi njengoba isihlulwe yiMTN 8, Carling Black Label Knockout neNedbank.
Ifomu yayo yakamuva ayiyinhle, kwazise isuka endukwini yeChippa United okuyiyona evuse umhlwenga nakubalandeli abebekhombisa izimpawu zokuthi bekubonakala bezimisele ukumnika ithuba, uCavin Johnson, obanjisiwe kuze kuphele isizini.
Inkinga ngendawo okuhleli kuyona iChiefs ukuthi ingungwe amaqembu asezimpini eziningi ezahlukene.
Ngakho-ke leli qembu laseNaturena lisengcupheni yokukhala ngaphandle kwakuyona i-Top 8 uma lingazimisele ukushintsha ukuqalaza.
Ihlulwa yiChippa nje, ibisilahle amaphuzu kweminye imidlalo emithathu eyandulele lona.
Ishaywe iStellenbosch FC ne-Orlando Pirates, yase ithola iphuzu kwiCape Town City. Igcine ukuthola amaphuzu amathathu kwiLamontville Golden Arrows ngoMashi 5.
Njengoba iChiefs isendaweni yesishiyagalombli, ingcono ngamaphuzu amahlanu kwiMoroka Swallows (enamaphuzu awu-25), esendaweni yesithathu uma usuka emsileni.
Kumaqembu iChiefs esazodlala nawo kweyisikhombisa esele ngaphambi kokusonga isizini kukhona iSundowns neSuperSport United esembangweni wokuzifaka emqhudelwaneni weCaf.
Yomibili le midlalo izoyidlalela ekhaya iChiefs.
Amanye amaqembu asezimpini zawo, iChiefs okusafanele idlale nawo kukhona iRichards Bay FC neCape Town Spurs ababalekela izembe.
Okwenza le midlalo yomibili ibe lukhuni kwiChiefs ukuthi iseThekwini naseKapa ngokwahlukana.
Eminye imidlalo ithinta AmaZulu FC nePolokwane City bobabili abasele kwiChiefs ngamaphuzu amabili kuphela. OwoSuthu usekuhambeni kanti owePolokwane esele ngomdlalo kwiChiefs uzodlalelwa e-FNB Stadium eGoli.