Once the backbone of Bafana Bafana’s greatest eras, Kaizer Chiefs now find themselves watching from the sidelines. The Soweto giants’ dwindling national influence mirrors their struggles in the PSL.
Kaizer Chiefs were inseparable from Bafana Bafana’s identity. Their players defined South African football’s proudest moments, from Doctor Khumalo and Neil Tovey leading the 1996 AFCON champions, to Lucas Radebe carrying his Chiefs legacy into the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Itumeleng Khune and Siphiwe Tshabalala later embodied the nation’s spirit in 2010.
But in 2025, the Soweto giants have become an afterthought. Chiefs had no players in South Africa’s 2023 AFCON squad and just one in the group that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Bafana’s first appearance since 2010 and first qualification on merit since 2002.
On the Omni Soweto Derby podcast powered by AfricaPicks, former Orlando Pirates winger Sifiso Myeni and ex-Chiefs star Thuso Phala discussed the changing balance of Soweto football. Myeni credited Pirates’ structure and consistency but stressed that Soweto’s football spirit belongs to everyone. “The matchup isn’t just about Pirates or Chiefs, it’s about the fans. The spirit of Soweto football is bigger than one badge.” Phala agreed, defending Chiefs’ legacy. “Form comes and goes. Chiefs will rise again. What matters is identity and respect for the badge.”
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The numbers mirror their fall in the Premier Soccer League. Since winning the 2014/15 title, Chiefs have finished in the top three only once, endured three fifth-place seasons, and slipped to 10th in 2023/24. They have failed to adapt to the tactical and recruitment evolution that has powered rivals Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates to domestic and continental dominance.
That shift is now reflected in Hugo Broos’s national squad. The team that clinched qualification for the 2026 World Cup featured five Sundowns and five Pirates players in the starting XI, with TS Galaxy’s Khulumani Ndamane filling the last spot for the suspended Mbekezeli Mbokazi. Chiefs, once synonymous with international pedigree, had none.
Sundowns’ sustained success, 18 league titles to Chiefs’ 13, has consolidated their influence, while Pirates’ performances have cemented their pipeline of national players. Chiefs, despite recent signs of recovery and a current fifth-place standing level with Pirates and two games in hand on league leaders Sundowns, remain short of the standard that once defined them.
As the 2025 AFCON and 2026 World Cup approach, the question is no longer whether Chiefs can return to winning the PSL, but whether they can restore their identity as a club whose players shape South Africa’s footballing story.
Photo: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
