The highs and lows of being a Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United fan - they don’t just play football, they play with our emotions

Chiefs and United used to dominate when it came to collecting trophies and accolades. It didn’t matter how inconsistent their performances were in some seasons; one thing was guaranteed - silverware.

The nightmare for us Manchester United fans began in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson, the club's longest-serving manager, retired.

I’ll never forget that day. I was fast asleep when the news broke, and my cousin woke me up to tell me. I didn’t take it well. I was shattered. It was as though I already knew the following years would be filled with torment.

The Red Devils were once one of the most feared teams in Europe. Opponents used to sweat, tremble, and grow anxious at the prospect of facing the giants of English football. Now, that dominance is a distant memory. We've been reduced to nothing. Gone are the days when losing was a shock; now, a win against a third-tier side is met with disbelief: "Manchester United won a game? How did that happen?!"

As for the Soweto giants, words fail me. I honestly don't have the right vocabulary to describe what Kaizer Chiefs have allowed themselves to become. In Stuart Baxter’s last two seasons at the club, there were signs that we weren’t at our best, yet we still managed to bring home some silverware. Still, this is Kaizer Chiefs we’re talking about, one or two bad seasons used to be enough for the club to regroup and return to doing what it does best: thriving and collecting trophies.

But that wasn’t the case. What followed was a daunting ten years! Season after season, things went from bad to worse. How does a team of Chiefs’ calibre allow itself to rot the way it did? At one point, the club even launched a slogan - “Reclaiming the Glory” - in an effort to restore hope, happiness, and trophies. But that campaign didn’t change much.

Chiefs became so disappointing that fans stopped attending matches.

Both teams have cycled through countless managers but have won only four trophies combined since that fateful day Ferguson retired.

One thing Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United have in common is their ability to toy with your emotions. One minute, you're celebrating two consecutive victories; the next, you're drowning in sorrow after they shamelessly go on a six-game losing streak.

A perfect example is Chiefs’ recent in the 2024/25 Nedbank Cup run - it was nothing short of amazing. They overcame some of the most competitive teams. Of course, that cup glory was short-lived, as they returned to “factory settings” within a week. Prior to the recent accomplishments, Amakhosi had not lifted a major trophy since their 2014/15 PSL win, making it a decade without silverware.

The same story applies to United in the Europa League. Their run was so impressive that you’d think the final against Tottenham Hotspur would be a walk in the park. But Spurs, a team with a decades-long trophy drought, pulled off the unthinkable and broke it at the expense of the Red Devils. Then again, Spurs have been walloping us every chance they get this season. United’s loss to Spurs marked their fifth failed cup final in a decade.

To sum it up, you have to wait until the final whistle with these clubs because you just never know. Instead of playing football on the pitch, they play with their supporters’ emotions.

As it stands Manchester United look like finishing 16th or 17th in the league after already suffering 18... yes... EIGHTEEN league defeats this season. Kaizer Chiefs have lost a more modest 12 times in the league and are struggling to reach the Top8.

That's 30 league defeats supporters have had to endure, not what you expect from two giants of football.

As we approach the 2025/26 season, fans like me are once again hoping for change, for leadership, structure, and a return to the standards that once defined these giants of world football. They deserve it, the fans deserve it!

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: never trust a false dawn. With Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United, you wait until the final whistle because until then, anything can happen.