Cup game crucial for Amakhosi
Will Kaizer Chiefs be able to beat Matsatsantsa? Reclaiming the glory
It’s been eight games since Kaizer Chiefs beat SuperSport United.
This Matsatsantsa outfit is the one Amakhosi must beat to progress to the Telkom Knockout semifinals when the two sides meet at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday [3pm].
Not only will a win ensure progress for Chiefs, but also wipe away the supporters’ tears after the 2-1 Soweto Derby defeat to nemesis, Orlando Pirates, at the weekend. Chiefs mentor Giovanni Solinas says he is still haunted by images of some supporters breaking down in tears after the Buccaneers claimed the bragging rights.
It’s with this in mind that the Italian has urged his charges to show some character and fight the club’s cause to be a dominant force again. But it doesn’t come easy against a SuperSport side that has enjoyed some dominance, especially in cup competitions over the past few years.
For Chiefs, it’s an even more difficult encounter considering their recent struggles against the Tshwane side. Nonetheless, Solinas is expecting a big response from his charges after the derby let down. “This cup is very important for Kaizer Chiefs – it’s a crucial game,” said Solinas, before taking the players through their paces for a training session at Chiefs’s Naturena Village.
“It’s a difficult game, because SuperSport is a very strong team and they go in the [cup] finals a lot of times.” But for a team that is in its fourth season without a trophy, the supporters want to hear if Solinas can guide them to the last four of the competition and give them a chance to reclaim some glory. He’s noncommittal, if anything. “After the derby, this is a tough game. This is football and we need a reaction, the fighting and believing in our- selves. In a big club, you need players and a coach with a strong mentality, because the pressure is very high – the expectation is very high,” he said.
In Solinas’s words it would appear that he’s got a management that understands their situation, led by chairperson Kaizer Motaung.
“Yeah, I always have a conversation with the chairman
‘‘ It’s a difficult game. SuperSport is a strong team
and [football manager] Bobby [Motaung]. This is normal in every club, but my advantage is that I have a chairman and Bobby, they know football,” said Solinas