Full name | Kaizer Chiefs Football Club |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
Amakhosi (Chiefs), Glamour Boys |
Founded | 7 January 1970 |
Ground | FNB Stadium, Soweto, Johannesburg |
Capacity | 94,796 |
Chairman | Kaizer Motaung |
Manager | Bobby Motaung |
League | ABSA Premiership |
2016-17 | ABSA Premiership, 1st |
Kaizer Chiefs Football Club is the most successful club in the South African football premier league based in Johannesburg that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The team is nicknamed Amakhosi, which means "lords" or "chiefs" in Zulu, and the "Phefeni Glamour Boys". They currently play most of their home matches at Soccer City in Nasrec, Soweto, which is commonly also referred to as the FNB Stadium. The club is arguably the most successful football club in South Africa. They are also the most supported club in the country, with over 20 million estimated supporters and it has supporters in neighbouring countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, etc.
The team has a strong local rivalry with Orlando Pirates, a fellow Soweto team which Chiefs founder Kaizer Motaung played for in his early playing career. Famous players who donned the black and gold jersey in the past include former national team captains Neil "Mokoko" Tovey, Lucas "Rhoo" Radebe and also Patrick "Ace" Ntsoelengoe, Gary Richard Bailey, John "Shoes" Lesiba Moshoeu, Shaun Bartlett, Steve Kompela, Siyabonga Nomvete and Doctor "16V" Khumalo.
Chiefs were banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from competing in African club competitions until 2009 after their abrupt withdrawal from the 2005 CAF Confederation Cup. This was the second time in four years that Chiefs had been penalized by CAF for refusal to participate in a scheduled CAF competition.