CHIEFS OUT TO END THEIR BARREN RUN
FOUR of the teams who find themselves among the top five spots of the
Premier Soccer League (PSL) table will this weekend briefly step away from their respective important PSL battles and take care of urgent business in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup competition.
PSL log leaders and likely 2018 champions Mamelodi Sundowns travel down to Pietermaritzburg tomorrow to meet that town’s finest, Maritzburg United, at the Harry Gwala stadium in a match starting at 3pm.
Judging from Maritzburg’s progress in this competition as well as the league, Sundowns would be well advised to not be bamboozled by the host team’s underdog status in this fixture. Maritzburg have for the duration of this season remarkably punched very much above their weight.
In the Cup’s quarter-finals Maritzburg easily dispensed with Bloemfontein Celtic sending their visitors packing with a 2-1 result at their Harry Gwala fortress. Before that they had clobbered National First Division side Royal Eagles by the same margin.
For their trouble Sundowns had to take care of EC Bees and Cape Town City – in that order; The last outing against the motivated Citizens was a nail-biter from which Sundowns just about scraped through 2-1.
Kaizer Chiefs for their part probably have their stars to thank for even having logged a place in the Nedbank Cup semis after a rather patchy performance in especially the league.
Chiefs buried no-name brand team Stellenbosch in the Last 16 and then dispatched Baroka FC in the quarter-finals to book themselves a match against Free State at the Moses Mabhida stadium at 8pm on Sunday evening.
Stars have been working their socks off for a place in this weekend’s match since Belgian coach Luc Eymael took them under his care. The Free Staters took care of lower division side Ubuntu Cape Town 4-2 on penalties in the quarters and scored two goals to a single reply against the never-say-die Chippa United in the Last 16.
And now for these four teams it’s game in this weekend’s make-or-break clashes to decide the finalists of this competition. SIPHELELE Ntshangase, who spoke with such confidence and excitement three months ago when he was unveiled as a Kaizer Chiefs player – even promising to deliver a ‘champagne’ pass from midfield – looked a footballer low on morale and slightly confused by his current predicament when he faced the media this week.
Amakhosi host Free State Stars in the semi-final of the Nedbank Cup at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow night, but it is again unlikely that Ntshangase, one of two headline signings for Chiefs in January, will win a place in the starting line-up.
Jokes were flying around on social media on Wednesday when a picture of Ntshangase carrying practice balls before the team’s training session got under way emerged, the quip being that the player had been reduced to a mere ball-boy.
“I am not happy with my contribution because I haven’t yet had enough game time,” he said.
“What is important is for me to continue to work hard so that I am able to grab my chance when the opportunity comes.”
There was a lot of fanfare from
Chiefs supporters and even those from rival teams who simply can’t hide their admiration for the former Black Leopards captain.
But Ntshangase has had almost no role to play in changing the club’s fortunes HARD AT WORK: From left, Siphelele Leonard Ntshangase, Joseph Molangoane and Bernard Parker of Kaizer Chiefs get themselves ready for their Nedbank Cup semi-final clash with Free State Stars tomorrow night. since he arrived, leaving fans frustrated and asking questions.
The player himself revealed that he’d had a conversation with coach Steve Komphela about his lack of involvement.
“I won’t necessarily put it like that,” Ntshangase responded when told by journalists that Komphela believes he is struggling to adjust to the demands at Chiefs. “I think that is the way he sees it.”
How does the player explain his exclusion then?
“I have always wanted to play for Chiefs, so the hype and the pressure did not distract me. When you play for a big team you should expect pressure.
“Given an opportunity to play, maybe I can impress,” he said.
“What is important is for the team to win. It’s not about Ntshangase, but about the brand. And up until a point where the coach gives me a chance to play, I can’t really comment on what it’s like to see the team struggling when I am on the bench. We spoke about why I am not playing and got the ball before him. “Vila” looks lethargic and almost pedestrian. But that’s his biggest quality as it complements his calm demeanour in front of goal.
The Brazilians will need that skill on Sunday at Harry Gwala Stadium in the Nedbank Cup semi-final against a solid Maritzburg United who are a tough nut to crack.
Richard Ofori and the defence that protects the Ghanaian goalkeeper have the joint best defensive record in the league, an honour they share with Kaizer Chiefs. It takes something special to beat them which means Sundowns will need to have calm heads in the box. Vilakazi and Themba Zwane are masters in that regard.
“It’s a special skill, to be calm under pressure. You have to be able to identify certain things that most people don’t see so that when action happens you’ve already made up your mind what you want to do. You have to be calm to pull that off,” Vilakazi said.
The Brazilians will remain in KwaZuluNatal I am trying to work on it.
“A complete player can defend and attack, that what the coach wants. So I think one thing that lacks for me is my defending. I will get a chance.”
Ntshangase continues to be way down the pecking order in midfielder and has even found himself overlooked in favour of striker Bernard Parker, who has also played in that No 10 role that was talked up as belonging to Ntshangase when he joined Chiefs.
With Komphela eager to reach the cup final and go all the way to end Amakhosi’s barren three-year spell in his time there, it is difficult to see the 24-year old getting the nod ahead of George Maluleka, Hendrik Ekstein and Parker against Stars tomorrow.
“I think the fact that I have always wanted to be here (be a Chiefs player), I won’t relax. I know my chance will come, but I will keep fighting,” Ntshangase said.
@superjourno after their match on Sunday as they have another date with the Team of Choice on Wednesday in the league. The back-to-back matches require both teams to properly analyse each other to counter anything that they’ll throw at each other.
Sundowns want to win both matches so that they reach the final of the Nedbank Cup and move a step closer to winning a record eighth league title in the Premier Soccer League-era.
“What has worked for Maritzburg is their formation and ability to adapt to that formation and make it their own,” Vilakazi said.
“They have perfected it, which is why they have been able to go this far and they are getting better and better. They have won games with that pattern, a 3-5-2 with two outright strikers who go wide.
“The coach has been able to instill certain things in terms of belief and have a number of young players coming up. They are a formidable team and they will give us a strong challenge.”