Chiefs holding their breath on Molangoane
Solinas upbeat after victory
The injury to Kaizer Chiefs winger Joseph Molangoane against Free State Stars dampened a good 3-0 MTN8 last eight result for Amakhosi at FNB Stadium at the weekend.
In a tackle with Stars midfielder Makhehle Makhaula, the pocket-sized Molangoane suffered a leg break and could miss the entire season.
Chiefs tweeted an update on Molangoane late on Sunday, saying early prognosis indicates a fracture “of the lower distal tibia and fibula to the lower right leg”.
“He will undergo surgery to repair his lower right leg,” they further tweeted.
Midfielder Siphelele Ntshangase is also carrying an ankle knock, but it’s thought that it’s not serious and he’s expected to make the trip to Limpopo where Chiefs will face Baroka at Peter Mokaba Stadium tomorrow (7.30pm) in a league encounter.
But mentor Giovanni Solinas can draw on some positives from the match besides the win.
The Italian made four changes from the team that lost 3-1 to Bidvest Wits last week. Goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune missed the Stars clash for personal reasons, while other senior players Siphiwe Tshabalala, Bernard Parker and Eric Mathoho started on the bench.
With a squad of about 30 players, Solinas has a few options in each position and now it’s about getting the players to understand his way of playing.
Chiefs players have spoken of how he prefers a 4-4-2 formation and with just a few weeks in charge, he’s positive they are heading in the right direction.
“We are very happy for this victory, but we lost a nice guy like Joseph. We dedicate this victory to Joseph. I hope this player comes back quickly,” said the coach.
“We need to continue to work hard and focus on the next game. We need to improve because, in my opinion, the team can improve again.
“We needed to defend as a team and [against Stars], all the players were coming back [to help defend] to keep things compact. We need to recognise when the danger is coming and sometimes our reaction is slow.”