Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Grieving Chiefs seek redemption in BCM clash
KAIZER Chiefs and their interim coach Cavin Johnson will target redemption when they clash with Chippa United at the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) Stadium, East London this afternoon (3pm kickoff).
It will be a challenging task for Chiefs whose form has slumped at a time when Johnson has assured all and sundry that he is still the man to guide the fortunes of the country's most storied club.
Another aspect worth mentioning is that the grieving Chiefs are mourning the tragic loss of defender Luke Fleurs (see inside page). There is also the prospect that Chiefs will be under great pressure to perform on match day because a sold-out crowd is expected.
Chippa's executive director Lukhanyo Mzinzi has asked supporters to avoid the BCM Stadium if they do not have a ticket for today's match.
The records show that Chiefs were winless in their last three matches, and this was the cue for Johnson to think about wholesale changes because players were not coming up to expectations. “I'm not happy with the performance of lots of players, but we have to fix them up,” said Johnson.
“We must go back, try again and put different players on the pitch, and let's see what happens. We must come back, and we have another game against Chippa. We must try our best because we need the points more than any other team in the PSL.”
Johnson's coaching ability will also be tested since he has worked out that his players need to play a bit more technically as that will help the team to improve.
The form of Chippa's Chilli Boys has been up and down, but the most pleasing aspect has been the move away from the relegation zone. They halted a two-match losing streak with a 2-0 victory over basement dwellers Cape Town Spurs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday.
This was their second win in four games under the guidance of Thabo September and Kwanele Kopo. Chippa made the biggest gains in the bottom half of the table after they leapfrogged Royal AM (14th), Moroka Swallows (13th) and AmaZulu (12th) into the 11th spot.
September feels Chippa can clock up more wins, starting today. “We are doing well. Chippa's form is going to pick up,” said September. “From here the aim is to win all the games, but we know that it won't be easy because this league is competitive.”
The big news coming out of the Chippa camp is that their Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is under suspension. He has had many clean sheets this season and Chiefs will be pleased that he won't be manning the opposition goals.
For Chiefs, Johnson might turn to striker Christian Saile to help turn the team's fortunes around. He could recall him to the starting line-up since he showed some intent against Stellies following his introduction.
The DR Congo striker has scored just three goals in 22 appearances but came close with two attempts against Stellenbosch.
Premiership Fixtures Today
– 3pm: Richards Bay v Moroka Swallows, Chippa United v Kaizer Chiefs. 5pm: Stellenbosch FC v Sekhukhune United. 5.30pm: Orlando Pirates v Golden Arrows. 8pm: SuperSport United v TS Galaxy
– 3pm: Royal AM v Polokwane City, Cape Town City v AmaZulu.*