A former Kaizer Chiefs striker who led the charge during the 'daily bread' days against Mamelodi Sundowns, has explained why he believes the Soweto giants have what it takes to clinch a Nedbank Cup final spot.
Chiefs have the perfect chance to arrest the slide of the last decade, where winning trophies has been as rare as hen's teeth, as they prepare to exchange fire with Sundowns in the semi-finals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.
READ | 'I hope they feel embarrassed...' - Riveiro speaks on violent scenes at Orlando
Worthy is the opponent, who will want to go one better this season, having lost in the final against Orlando Pirates in heartbreaking fashion last season.
That they have already recorded three wins over Amakhosi this season is indicative of the task that awaits Nasreddine Nabi's men.
Collins Mbesuma stood up to be counted during his time at Naturena, netting a record-setting 35 goals in 2004/05, and was a sight to behold at a time when charismatic PRO Putco Mafani often rallied the faithful for especially big games.
Thus, Sundowns would be dubbed Chiefs' 'daily bread', with supporters bringing loaves of unsliced bread to the stadium whenever the clash came forth.
Mbesuma, hyped up by the chorus: "Mbesuma bamlandela", as coined by Mafani, was the go-to man for goals, and deliver he did.
So much has changed since those days, such that one would need to go back to the history books to discover when the Soweto giants last beat The Brazilians.
"A cup match is a different ball game and it will be about which team carries the day," said Mbesuma, as per the club's website.
"I know Sundowns have been dominating and doing well, but I believe that anything can happen in a cup game, and Chiefs can turn their season around with a win.
"They need to approach the match with a cup game mindset and a determination to come out victorious.
READ | BREAKING: Mbokazi, Mfundo Vilakazi headline final SA U-20 AFCON squad
"I’m confident that they (Chiefs players) have the talent to go out there and make a statement. It's time for them to step up and show what they're capable of," said 'Ntofontofo', before taking a walk down memory lane.
"Playing against Sundowns was one of my exciting moments because we always wanted to prove a point. The current team must adopt a similar approach to what we had… just give it their all and leave everything on the field."
Kick-off is at 18:00.
