New kids on ABC League block on cue

Last two games could still place Chiefs in top five

WITH only two games left in the ABC Motsepe League, newcomers Bizana Pondo Chiefs’ captain Siyabonga “Rasta” Nzimande feels they achieved their mandate in their maiden season.

Chiefs are coming out of a painful 4-0 loss against last season’s champions, EC Bees, at Bhisho Stadium over the weekend.

The loss glued the Bizana-based outfit to fourth place with 38 points, while Bees climbed to second spot with 47 on the table.

But Nzimande was adamant they would finish in the top five teams when the season concludes – although their ambition not to stay long in the third-tier league is already dead as Tornado have secured their ticket to Polokwane for the playoffs from June 4 to 9.

“We are happy with the position we’ve kept on the table and I think we did well for a team that was playing this league for the first time.

“The technical team was motivating us to get promoted from this league and not stay long because we want to play National First Division – but that didn’t happen this time round. Teams that have been playing in this league for a while now had prepared earlier than us.

“If you look at the team that’s going to NFD playoffs, Tornado is a team that has been here for a while now,” said Nzimande. The utility player said they were pleased with their performance in the third-tier league but they were hoping for an even better start next season.

“We had players who’ve played this league before, and their contributions were great.

“They pushed the young guys who were playing ABC (Motsepe) League for the first time.

“And they played a major role in helping our young players adapt quickly to this league and that strengthened the team in ways that we never imagined, because everyone rose to the occasion.”

On Saturday, Chiefs will play host to the Mount Ayliff-based City Lads in a much anticipated derby at the Mqeshwa Sports Field in Bizana.

Lads have 27 points at seventh on the table.

For their last fixture of the season Chiefs will visit Gelvandale Stadium in Port Elizabeth to take on PE Stars who are third on the table with 42 points.

“We are not worried about anything now, because we met City Lads in the first round and we played a 2-2 draw against them.

“So we are hoping to bounce back now with a win against Lads, because we’re aiming to return to our winning ways. But still, we are expecting a very tough game against them because they are also trying to finish in the top five.

“But as for PE Stars – we beat them in the first round 4-1, which was a big achievement for us.

“So in a nutshell, we need to get maximum points in both games in order to finish number three or even two on the logstandings,” said Nzimande.