The fact that Kaizer Chiefs are fundamentally already 20 points behind Mamelodi Sundowns just across the halfway line of this league season provides evidence of how far behind Amakhosi have fallen.
For a club that prides itself as being the biggest in the country, Chiefs must be standing up to whatever competition Sundowns provide in the battle for silverware on the domestic front like was the case in years gone by.
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Unfortunately, Chiefs have become the face of disappointment with headlines related to their name defined by all of misery, gloom and dejection combined.
Amakhosi set their standards of success as winning trophies, so nine years without any silverware is beyond a train smash.
Adding salt to the wound is how much of a gap now exists between them and the club that they must measure up to in terms of success – Mamelodi Sundowns.
Without any microscopic analysis or advanced technical expertise of the game, the gap is now wider than the N1.
As it stands, the Brazilians are 17 points ahead of Chiefs and with a game in hand can be argued to be on a 20-points cushion considering how frequent they are winning games.
Chances are that the gap will be wider than 20 points come end of the season.
Since the last time that Chiefs finished above Sundowns in the 2014/15 season when they were champions with a 12-point lead over the Brazilians, the common denominator has been a catalogue of mishaps for the gold and black nation.
The facts:
2015/16 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 71 points, Kaizer Chiefs 46 points – 25 points difference
2016/17 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 57 points, Kaizer Chiefs 50 points – 7 points difference
2017/18 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 60 points, Kaizer Chiefs 48 points – 12 points difference
2018/19 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 59 points, Kaizer Chiefs 39 points – 20 points difference
2019/20 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 59 points, Kaizer Chiefs 57 points – 2 points difference
2020/21 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 67 points, Kaizer Chiefs 36 points – 31 points difference
2021/22 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 65 points, Kaizer Chiefs 47 points – 18 points difference
2022/23 – Mamelodi Sundowns – 70 points, Kaizer Chiefs 44 points – 26 points difference
This means Mamelodi Sundowns have garnered 508 points on their way to seven league titles (plus one runners-up finish) while Chiefs have totalled 367 points with nothing to show in the league.
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The points difference between the two clubs in the period under review is 141 points at an average of 17,6 points difference per season.
With the 17 points from this season added it becomes a gap of 158 points.
How long it takes Chiefs to cover this gap will be determined by the decisions that they make ahead of the next season.
Of note is that Sundowns have won 16 trophies since Chiefs last delivered silverware to Naturena.
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