Now it’s payback time as Chiefs have Butterworth in crosshairs

DETERMINED ABC Motsepe League freshmen, Bizana Pondo Chiefs will be looking for revenge when they take on Butterworth FC at the WSU Sports Fields tomorrow.

Chiefs have solidified their position in the top seven teams in the thirdtier league log-standings with 23 points after maintaining a balance in their results.

They have won seven games, lost six and drawn two matches up until now. Chiefs will be meeting Butterworth, formerly known as Walter Sisulu University, for the second time this season after they lost to the former students 3-2.

Chiefs also climbed a milestone last weekend when they beat well respected PE Stars 2-1, Stars are sitting on the third spot with 28 points on the log-standings.

Chiefs assistant coach, Loyiso “Tsutsu” Jokweni, said they were well prepared for this crucial encounter and handing Butterworth a bitter taste of their own medicine was number one priority for them.

“The boys played a friendly game against Golden Arrows at Ray Xulu Stadium on Wednesday, so yes we are ready and they have had enough rest, so we are more than prepared for this game.

“And it’s payback time now because Butterworth has beaten us before, and now we are going to show them that they caught us off-guard. We are now more than ready for anything they’ll throw at us,” said Jokweni.

He said they were not contesting for the league title as yet because they were still familiarising themselves with its dynamics.

“We are not giving our players any reason to stress about because our main aim is to keep our status in the league and to get the necessary experience we need for the long run because we are not going anywhere.

“We are underdogs competing with the likes of Mthatha City, PE Stars and we managed to come out as winners and those are the big guys in this league. So we just want to maintain the momentum, and in as much we are playing to win, we want to bring forth the Chiefs’ style of play – 100%.”

He said being able to follow the basics of running a football club went a long way in motivating their players to fight for the club in every game they play and their brand was growing in their backyard.

“We are a young management including our chairman, so we always engage in team-building exercises. Taking the boys out to play fun games. When we are demanding results – they understand where we’re coming from, but the most important thing for us is to live by our promise to players – paying their stipends on time.

“So when it’s month-end they get something to look after themselves, including the staff and now we getting calls from many players asking to play for us, because they see how we do things.”

The Chiefs mentor said they might have missed a lot of chances during their encounter against Stars, but they were satisfied with the performance put out there by his charges against the PE outfit that humiliated last season’s runners-up, Future Tigers 6-1 at Ginsberg Stadium.

“We could have wrapped up that game by 8-1 and they got a penalty for their goal, but we will come back home victorious again this weekend against Butterworth.”

Other matches today: EC Bees v Swartkops Valley United Brothers at NU2 Stadium, Motherwell in PE, Future Tigers v Sibanye at Gelvandale Stadium, PE.