The Vodacom Challenge has a wonderful record of unearthing and showcasing some of the brightest young talent in the country as the coaches of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs use the tournament to expose their youngsters to
top-quality international opposition.

The very first Vodacom Challenge in 1999 saw the emergence of a young starlet named Jabu Pule, who would later change his surname to Mahlangu. He made his bow for Chiefs in the third-fourth play-off against Asec Abidjan and managed to get on the score sheet in a 2-1 win. It spelled the start of a love-affair between Mahlangu and the Vodacom Challenge as he won the competition with the Amakhosi in 2001, scored twice in the first round against Asante Kotoko in 2002 (including the fastest-ever Vodacom Challenge goal timed at 39 seconds) and claimed the title again with Chiefs in 2003. But it was his exploits in that very first season as a young 19-year-old which thrust him into the limelight. He went on to have a very good 1999/00 campaign, making 17 appearances and scoring five goals.

The late Lesley Manyathela was introduced to the Pirates fans in the 2000 Vodacom Challenge, coming on as a substitute in both the first round match against Dynamos of Zimbabwe and the final versus Kaizer Chiefs. He played in the next three tournaments, scoring against St Eloi Lupopo in 2002 and TP Mazembe in 2003 before his untimely death in a car accident that same year.

Benedict Vilakazi was a fresh face for Pirates fans too when he made his Vodacom Challenge debut in the same tournament as Manyathela. He scored in the semifinal the next year against Asante Kotoko and then against AS Vita in 2004.

Mbulelo Mabizela is another player who first donned The Buccaneers’ colours in the Vodacom Challenge. He ran out in 2001, while Jimmy Tau made his Pirates debut in the 2002 event before moving on to Chiefs in 2005. Striker Phumudzo Manenzhe also debuted in front of The Ghost in 2002, while Chiefs’ Junior Khanye wowed fans with his skill in 2004.

Lebohang Mokoena was just 16 years old when he played in the 2003 Vodacom Challenge for Pirates, making a huge impression on the fans. In more recent times 2007 saw the debut of 19-year-old Orlando Pirates winger Tlou Segolela when he came off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur, while Chiefs midfield starlet George Lebese was the same age when he debuted against Manchester United last year. Michael Morton and Oupa Manyisa were also unveiled by Pirates at the 2008 Vodacom Challenge.

Just which young stars await us this year remains to be seen, but as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Vodacom Challenge, we can proud at some of the fantastic careers the tournament has launched.


10 Greatest Pirates vs Chiefs Derbies

24 January, 1970, Orlando (Rogue Beer Cup third place play-off)

Kaizer Chiefs (2) 4 (Pule Ntsoelengoe 2, Petros Nzimande, Jacob Masike)
Orlando Pirates (2) 6 (Percy Moloi, Petros Nzimande own goal, Remember Majoe 2, Bernard Hartze 2)
The first ever meeting between Chiefs and Pirates took place in a year in which there was no structured league but rather several smaller one-off competitions. The two sides met at the Orlando stadium in the third place play-off of an eight-team tournament sponsored by South African Breweries with total prize money of R1000. How ironic that the Chiefs-Pirates encounter was actually a curtain raiser to the final
later in the day which saw Moroka Swallows beat Pimville United Brothers 4-3. Chiefs had lost to PUBS in the semifinals and Pirates to Swallows. For the bronze medal game, Chiefs brought back Thomas ‘Zero’ Johnson, then playing and coaching in Botswana, but could not halt the Pirates tide, led by ‘Chippa’ Moloi, who got the first goal. Chiefs’ ‘Ten-Ten’ Nzimande then calamitously scored the second for Pirates
with an own goal off his head but Chiefs fought back through the guile of ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, who scored two to level matter by half-time.
Kaizer Chiefs then went ahead after the break through Nzimande, atoning for
his earlier error. But Moloi won the duel of skills with Kaizer Motaung in the second half and Bucs got the upper hand. Remember Majoe made it 3-3 and then “Dancing Shoes’ Hartze put Pirates back in the lead. Majoe got his second of the game and Pirates were further ahead, 5-3. Jacob Masike beat Pirates goalkeeper Gerard van der Haer to bring it back to 5-4 in the closing stages but Pirates’ Hartze made sure of
the 6-4 win with a late goal.

24 April, 1971, Orlando

Kaizer Chiefs (2) 4 (Herman Blaschke, Petros Nzimande 2, Thomas Johnson)
Orlando Pirates (3) 3 (Johnny Kekana, Hubert Leroke, Alfred Jacobs)
The first league meeting between the two sides saw Chiefs stage a remarkable comeback after being three goals down with their player-coach “Zero’ Johnson proving the hero of the day. Pirates had chained Chiefs down early in the game and stormed into a runway lead. Kekana pounced early to open the score line and then Leroke and Jacobs added two more. But Blaschke pulled one back and then before half-time Johnson lobbed a cross in for Nzimande to head home against his former club. After the break, Nzimande, Ntsoelengoe and Johnson took control of proceedings and Nzimande blasted home the equaliser, again set up by Johnson. The winner came dramatically with just three minutes left. Jacob Xaba stormed down the left wing, chipped the ball into Ntsoelengoe, who in turn centred to Johnson, who scored with a brilliant scissors kick for an outstanding comeback. So stunned were
the Pirates’ fans that they sat dumbstruck in their seats for several minutes after the game before slowly filing home.


18 March, 1972, Orlando (BP Top Eight Cup final)

Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Herman Blaschke, Johnny Mokoena)
Orlando Pirates (1) 3 (Herbert Leroke, David Fakude pen, Elias Mokopane)
Pirates introduced Ephraim Mashaba to South African soccer in this match and brought back Salthiel Chohoe to take on Chiefs on a soggy pitch at the Orlando stadium. It was Orlando Pirates’ first win over Kaizer Chiefs in official competition. Mashaba proved an instant hit, not in front of goal but rather with three vital goal line clearances through the match. Chiefs were the early aggressors and opened the scoring through Blaschke, whose powerful shot flew past a helpless Banda. Leroke equalised before half-time after a bad slip by Chiefs defender Gerald Dlamini. A disputed penalty then gave Pirates a chance to put their noses ahead. Fakude converted from the spot while Chiefs players struggled to figure out why they had conceded the kick. Mokopane then added insult to injury with a third goal that left Setlhodi rooted to the turf. Kaizer Chiefs launched a late fight back and got a consolation goal from Johnny Mokoena in the dying stages of the match.

6 July, 1974, Orlando

Kaizer Chiefs (3) 4 (Pule Ntsoelengoe, Shaka Ngcobo 2, Johnny Mokoena)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Jomo Sono pen, MacDonald Skosana 2)
Orlando Pirates staged a dramatic comeback in the second half of the game but came up one goal short in affecting a remarkable turn about after trailing 0-4. Kaizer Chiefs stormed off to a bright start, taking the lead after three minutes through Ntsoelengoe, and dominating even after Lamola had to exit the game early with an injury inflicted by an Oscar Dlamini tackle. Lamola’s replacement, Johannes Kholoane was part of the build-up for the second goal, laying on the ball to Ngcobo who jumped over Milton Nkosi’s sliding tackle and then dribbled past goalkeeper Banda to make it 2-0 in the 20th minute. It was not long after that that Chiefs slotted home a third when Ngcobo latched onto Jackie Masike’s clearance and outpaced defender Ephraim Mashaba to strike the ball into the net. Kaizer Chiefs were 4-0 up two minutes into the second half when Mashaba and Alfred Mgedeza’s indecision allowed Kholoane to square into the centre for Johnny Mokoena to boot the ball
below a diving Banda. The Pirates comeback began in the 58th minute when Sono converted a penalty after Mokoena and Chiefs goalkeeper Setlhodi sandwiched Skosana off the ball. The Bucs then took complete control and Skosana struck twice to reduce the deficit but despite the baying of their supporters Pirates could not find the magical fourth goal.

17 September, 1978, Orlando
Orlando Pirates (1) 1 (Jomo Sono)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (William Ndlovu)
It was a league game that had a cup fever about it, displaying extraordinarily flair as the crowd piled in to watch the match up between Ntsoelengoe and Sono. It also proved a remarkably peaceful event as strong security kept the hooligan element at bay. There were no police to be seen anywhere. Jomo Sono put Orlando Pirates ahead in the first five minutes with a classic goal as the Buccaneers shrugged off the
absence of injured Ntsoseng and More, who had been involved in a car accident on his way to the ground. Sono’s goal came despite the fact there were two markers on him for virtually the entire match. Pirates were desperate to make inroads into Chiefs’ lead at the top of the log table. Sono missed two chances thereafter as did Mugoyo on the other side. Chiefs’ equaliser midway through the second half was mired in controversy as linesman Charles Morodi flagged for offside but referee
Henry Shoba ignored him. Lamola’s free kick was sent over to Dladla whose shot was punched away by Banda but fell to Ndlovu who fired it home. There was a late blitz from Ntsoelengoe but Chiefs were unable to score the winner and both sets of supporters went home happy.

4 April, 1981, Orlando (Champions of Champions final, second leg)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Henry Khumalo 3, 1 pen)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Peter Mokotedi)
Second-half substitute Khumalo was give a heroes reception at the end of the game after engineering a remarkable victory for Orlando Pirates who were two goals down on aggregate before he was brought on and changed the outcome of the game. Kaizer Chiefs were a goal up from the first leg and held out in the first half at a packed Orlando stadium. They extended their aggregate lead when Mokotedi scored right after the interval. Not even the most die-hard of Pirates’ fans would have then believed a comeback was possible but Khumalo, who had not exactly set Pirates
alight since his move from Durban two years previously, turned the result right around. Kagiso Mogale provided the first for Khumalo in the 64th minute with a defence-splitting pass. Jingles Pereira handled the ball to present Pirates with a chance to win the trophy in the final minute of the game which Khumalo duly converted to set off jubilant scenes of celebration. It was only the second hat trick in
the derby after Mugoyo’s effort six years earlier. Orlando Pirates’ first prize came to R7000.

23 October, 1982, Ellis Park
Orlando Pirates 0
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 2 (Marks Maponyane 2)
Maponyane scored both goals as Kaizer Chiefs beat Orlando Pirates at Ellis Park in front of an estimated crowd of 70,000 – a new record for league football in South Africa. It came at the end of a frustrating season for Maponyane who was unable to command a regular place in the Chiefs starting line-up despite his huge potential. The result effectively ended any hopes Pirates had of winning the title. Chiefs had already fallen out of the title race. Despite their mediocre form, both clubs commanded a massive crowd with more locked outside. Maponyane opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time but Pirates were strongest after the break with Bala’c having to make two fine stops in quick succession. Jomo Sono then had his
shot cleared off the Chiefs’ goal line by Johannes Radebe and another thundered off the crossbar. The ‘Black Prince’ had skipped training during the week and was therefore only brought on in the second half. Maponyane’s second goal in the 60th minute sealed the win to leave AmaKhosi’s supporters ecstatic. Mkhari missed a sitter for Orlando Pirates before Ntsoelengoe took over the running of the game and had the crowd crying “Aaayce” as he toyed with Pirates’ players.

10 June, 1984, Orlando (JPS Knockout Cup quarterfinal)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 3 (Moran Khulu, Trevor Mtimkulu, Nelson Dladla)
Orlando Pirates (0) 3 (Jeff Ntsibande, Nick Seshweni, Mandla Sithole) after extra time
This was a match rated as one of the best ever in South African soccer and ended in a stalemate, necessitating a replay. There should have been a penalty shootout to decide who progressed to the semifinals but the referee Taljaard decided it was too dark at Orlando to take the kicks. Just two minutes from the end of extra time Dladla had equalised for Chiefs but that was only a fraction of the drama. Kaizer Chiefs had led 2-0 going into injury time at the end of the game but Orlando Pirates came back with a Herculean effort.
‘Samora’ Khulu put Chiefs into a 52nd minute lead after a goalless first half. Mtimkulu added a second in the 84th minute, leaving Chiefs fans celebrating what looked like a relatively easy progress into the next round. But the game was turned
on its head right at the death when Kagiso Mogale was brought down in the Chiefs’ penalty area and Ntsibande slotted away the resultant spot kick. Then followed a strong finish as Seshweni equalised from close range to set the crowd alight and send the game into extra time. Orlando Pirates stayed on the ball, the momentum of their revival spurned by the introduction of substitutes Mkhwanazi and Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse. In the 116th minute Pirates took the lead through Sithole but it lasted
just 120 seconds before Dladla made it 3-3 at the end of a pulsating experience for all at the Orlando stadium.

3 Dec, 1988, Ellis Park (BoB Save Super Bowl final replay)

Orlando Pirates (1) 2 (Basil Steenkamp, Lawrence Maake)
Kaizer Chiefs (1) 1 (Mike Mangena) after extra time
Orlando Pirates won their first trophy in five years and in the process recorded their first-ever win over Kaizer Chiefs at Ellis Park. This win came despite the pundist not giving them much of a chance. Pirates enjoyed passionate support and the press showed their bias too with the Sowetan newspaper devoting five pages of coverage to their win on the Monday after the cup replay. For Kaizer Chiefs it was the second humiliation in four days, having lost the league title to Sundowns after Cosmos had beaten them 2-1. But Chiefs did make a seemingly perfect start when Mangena headed in a cross from Khumalo at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the seventh minute. Chiefs then tore into Pirates looking for a second goal and twice Maponyane shot wide from good goal scoring positions. After 11 minutes, he dribbled past Johnson but slipped and his shot went over the bar. Four minutes on, he went wide again. Pirates had a good chance in the 22nd minute and then equalised in the 27th minute when Steenkamp headed home a cross from Moses Kamanga who proved a
defensive rock throughout the two hours of action. After the goal it was Pirates’ turn to take charge of proceedings and there were several more opportunities in the second half. But the winner came seven minutes into extra time. ‘Metroblitz’ Sithole beat two Chiefs defenders in a sprint, passed to Maake, who had sneaked in behind Mark Tovey and hit a right footed shot under the diving frame of Bailey.

2 November, 1996, Soccer City (BoB Save Super Bowl semifinal)
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (David Modise)
Orlando Pirates (2) 4 (Jerry Sikhosana 3, Helman Mkhalele)
The first hat trick in15 years in the derby match is scored as Sikhosana catapults Orlando Pirates to a comprehensive win in the derby.
Sikhosana joins an elite group: Mugoyo slotted home three for Chiefs in 1975 and ‘Mthofi’ Khumalo who scored a hat trick for Pirates in 1981.
Chiefs could not believe what hit them and the thrashing was as result of a careful plan laid down by Pirates’ Russian coach Viktor Bondarenko. “It was simple to beat Chiefs,” he asserted, with the plan entailing that Lane sat on Ndlanya and the Chiefs midfield prevented from picking up knockdown from their strikers. Then Sikhosana was instructed to exploit Chiefs’ defensive weaknesses, primarily their lack of pace at the back. He was encouraged to use his speed and directness and it paid off with his hat trick completed by the 47th minute. “I think the fans no longer see me as the bad guy. They realise I’m not being selfish when I keep on trying to score. It’s my job and they appreciate it,” Sikhosana said later. It was one of the best games all year but the Buccaneers could have had eight goals and gave Chiefs the same sort of run around in the last 10 minutes that Chiefs were used to dishing out to other teams. It was too much for Gqosha who was sent off after clattering into teenager Steve Lekoelea. Kaizer Chiefs’ captain Tovey’s place in the Bafana Bafana side was also up for discussion after his poor game. Sikhosana opened the score in the 18th minute and made it 2-0 just before half time. Then he got his third before Modise pulled one back for a shell shocked AmaKhosi. Mkhalele made it four for Pirates in the 76th minute. Pirates went on to beat Cosmos in the final three weeks later.