The salaries of some of Kaizer Chiefs high earners are more than enough to cover the monthly expenses of Free Agents FC, and the humble Eersterust Stadium in Pretoria is a far cry from the manicured training pitches of Amakhosi’s base at Naturena.
That’s the extent of the gulf in resources between Chiefs and minnows Free Agents ahead of their Nedbank Cup last-32 meeting at FNB Stadium today — a classic case of David versus Goliath.
Amakhosi are overwhelming favourites to book their place in the next round but the amateurs from the ABC Motsepe League in Gauteng have an opportunity to cause a massive upset.
Free Agents coach and owner Olaitan Oladeru has warned Chiefs to come well prepared, saying they make the short trip to Soweto with an equal chance of progressing because of the unpredictability of football.
“We have seen a lot of surprises in football over the years and anything can happen, that is not a secret,” he said.
In the past, Chiefs have suffered the ignominy of losing to lower lights like Baroka FC, Milford FC, TS Galaxy, Black Leopards, Cape Town All Stars, Richards Bay and University of Pretoria (Tuks), and Oladeru hopes history will repeat itself. “History might repeat itself. We are going there for a win because we know anything can happen,” said Oladeru.
“You remember what happened to Argentina against Saudi Arabia and to France against Senegal at the World Cup? We embrace this opportunity, which is massive for everyone at the club and the community of Eersterust where we come from. We have worked hard to be here and you will never know because anything is possible.”
Oladeru said they will make up for what they lack in quality and experience with hard work to make a name for themselves against a massively resourced Amakhosi. “I can’t give any amounts [of how much we spend on running the club monthly] but you can easily tell that Chiefs are on a higher level. We are just an amateur team playing in the lower ABC Motsepe League, where there is no grant or sponsor.
“Salaries of two players from Chiefs a month will probably cover our wage bill for the rest of the season. We are far from each other and we understand and respect that they are on another level. We are running the club out of our own volition and we find ways of making sure these boys are together.
“They are all full-time soccer players from all over South Africa. We only have three players from Nigeria because the rules of the league stipulate that you can only use three foreign players.”
Since they were drawn against Amakhosi, Oladeru said they have been overwhelmed by attention from the public. “Of course, the attention we received over the past few weeks has been phenomenal. To some of our players, their lives will never be the same again after this. So they must grab this opportunity with both hands because you just never know.”
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