Fans have their day
SELECTIONS: KHUNE, NDORO SUPPORTERS’ FAVOURITES AHEAD OF CARLING CHAMPIONSHIP CUP
New players at both clubs will face plenty of scrutiny.
It may be a friendly but judging by the fans’ votes, they want nothing but a win when Kaizer Chiefs play Orlando Pirates in a Carling Black Label Cup at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
While Amakhosi fans want their team keep a clean sheet by voting the country’s No 1 keeper Itumeleng Khune into the starting XI, Bucs are hoping Tendai Ndoro will put a few past him.
Khune leads the votes for Chiefs, while Ndoro has the most in the Pirates camp. It remains to be seen if any of the new signings from either side will make it as the voting closes tonight.
Khune has always been a fan favourite, bagging the most votes since the tournament launched seven years ago while Brilliant Khuzwayo and Luthando Sixhaso have had to play cameo roles.
Unlike Pirates, Chiefs fans have been able to see most of their players with a number of friendly games the team played in the past few weeks particularly in the Bokone Bophirima Maize Cup where coach Steve Komphela used almost his whole squad.
Even new additions like Bongo- lethu Jayiya, Teenage Hadebe and Philani Zulu have had a good run.
Komphela said the games were good for his players to prepare for the derby and he used different systems that might be used for the Carling Cup so that whichever formation the fans select the players will be able to adjust.
“It was an opportunity for them to display all the players so that they can have a better choice and a better system. It is a nice headache for them as well, we have giv- en them 25 to 26 players to have a look at,” said the Chiefs coach.
“We have also given them different structures, we played 4-23-1, 4-3-3 and we ended up playing 3-4-3,” added Komphela.
Despite taking his foot off the pedal in the second round of the league last season, the Ghost have placed their hopes on Ndoro to bang in the goals at the weekend. Ndoro started last season brightly, scoring 11 goals in eight matches, but was unable to continue his form which finally cost him his place in the starting line-up.
The Buccaneers also have new players in their squad after bringing in Nigerian striker Christian Obiozor, goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands and midfielder Thamsanqa Sangweni, who is likely to partner with skipper Oupa Manyisa in midfield.