Dove Places Nedbank Cup Triumph Aside
Kaizer Chiefs defender Emilson Dove expressed his happiness at winning the Nedbank Cup, ending the club’s ten-year trophy drought. However, he stated that they must set aside these positive emotions to focus on securing a top-eight finish in the league.
Chiefs ended their decade-long wait for silverware with a 2-1 victory over their Soweto rivals, Orlando Pirates, at Moses Mabhida Stadium last weekend.
Orlando Pirates, the defending champions, aimed for a third consecutive Nedbank Cup title, but the Glamour Boys thwarted their ambition.
Dove conveyed his delight with the achievement, emphasizing its lasting significance.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Dove.
“It’s a feeling that you can’t just describe in words, not only for ourselves, but for the club, for the supporters, you know, for the chairman [Dr Kaizer Motaung], a person that has done so much for us.”
Reflecting on the drought, Dove added. “It has been 10 years since the club has won any trophy. It’s a great feeling, I can’t find words to explain how special this trophy is, but I’m 100% sure that it’s going to stick with our lives for the longest time, you know, and only by the grace of God.”
Despite this long-awaited success, Dove acknowledged the crucial upcoming game against Sekhukhune United at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, which could secure their place in the top eight. Consequently, they have decided to postpone celebrations and concentrate on their remaining league fixtures.
“We know the importance of Saturday’s game, we put the celebrations aside and we reshuffle our focus on the league,” Dove stated.
“Yeah, we’ve been preparing well, we’ve been training well. The mood has been good, the energy is positive and hopefully we can go into this game with a clear idea of what needs to be done which is what the coaches have been doing throughout our training sessions, just to keep the gents in check and making sure that we have all the tools that we need going into Saturday’s game.”
Chiefs will be looking to achieve a double victory over Babina Noko, having won their earlier league fixture in January.
