The return of Italian technical manufacturers Kappa as Kaizer Chiefs sponsors will come with the benefit of making the deal the biggest on the domestic scene and matching international trends.
Chiefs' relationship with Nike which came into effect at the start of the 2001/02 season ends within the next 10 days paving way for Kappa.
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The American manufacturers took over from Reebok in what was initially a five-year deal that has since eventually stretched over two decades.
As the relationship with Nike comes to an end at the end of the season it is worth noting that 17 trophies have been delivered though the last eight years have been a frustrating drought with no success on the trophy front.
It has been suggested that this lack of success by Chiefs has contributed to Nike shunning Chiefs.
Nike still have top partnerships with Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Tottenham Hotspurs and will take over SA Rugby from July 1.
While Nike moves away from Naturena it is worth noting that Chiefs will enjoy a scrumptious deal with Kappa that will catapult them to top international levels.
It is one the flagship deals for the Italians.
Besides the millions of rands that Chiefs will reap their deal will come listed as category A in the streaming of the Italian's deals.
Chiefs will join the Kappa stable along with Spanish second tier club Real Valladolid, Aris Thessalonki of Greece, and the Adrian Mutu coached Rapid Bucuresti from Romania.
In joining the Kappa family, Amakhosi will be thrown into the same pot as French clubs AS Monaco and FC Metz along with Greek giants Panathinaikos and Belgian club Cercle Brugge.
Chiefs' deal will be bigger than what Algerian heavyweights USM Alger enjoy.
The Italian have already done their preparation in unleashing the line of Chiefs merchandise that will go on sale after the kit unveiling.
Some of the players at Chiefs have already been doing shoots with the new kits and the rest of the apparel that will be used next season.
Plenty of the equipment to be used by Chiefs plus what will go out on sale is already in the country.
Chiefs' reunion with Italian manufacturers will send reminders about the years when AmaKhosi were a dominant force in domestic football instead of the faded giant that they have since become.
Chiefs were league champions in 1989 when they started their partnership with Kappa with Shane McGregor the league's Player of the Season.
AmaKhosi also won the two-legged final of the BP Top 8 against Wits University and then added the JPS Smooth Series after overcoming Moroka Swallows.
The following year they were league runners-up before winning the league in 1991 and 1992.
Through those two years when they were league champions, they also won the BP Top Eight in consecutive years plus the Castle Challenge (1991) and the BOB Save Super Bowl (1992) while they lost in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup final.
This meant within the first four years of being kitted by Kappa, Chiefs had been league champions thrice and won six trophies.
Besides McGregor in '89, Fani Madida ('91) and Doctor Khumalo ('93) were the league's best players.
From 1993-96, Chiefs added another two trophies before the club went into an agreement with Reebok to become their new technical supplier.
So, between 1989-96 when AmaKhosi were kitted by Kappa they delivered 11 titles.
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