It all points to a SuperSport win over Chiefs in Cup, right?

DURBAN: The bad news for Kaizer Chiefs as they strive to take their good pre-season form into the 2017-18 PSL season is that the team providing the first hurdle in their MTN8 challenge is coached by a man with the knack for beating them.

Amakhosi have already won two friendly trophies – the Bokone Bophirima Cup and the Carling Black Label Champion Cup – to raise their fans’ hopes that they will avoid going three successive seasons without official silverware.

Next weekend they begin the season proper with an MTN8 clash against SuperSport United at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

But if the Chiefs faithful are anticipating a win similar to the past weekend’s Soweto derby success, they’d better be warned.

In Eric Tinkler, Matsatsantsa have a coach who has the knack of beating Chiefs. The former Bafana Bafana midfield hardman, who joined the Tshwane oufit after a successful spell at Cape Town City, has never lost to Steve Komphela’s side in open play.

His only defeat came in a penalty shoot-out in the 2015 Telkom Knockout semi-finals that had ended goalless after extra time. He was Orlando Pirates coach then.

Other than that, it has been Tinkler all the way, with two knockout victories.

Tinkler gained sweet revenge for that defeat when he sent Amakhosi packing in the 2016 Nedbank Cup at the first hurdle, courtesy of a 2-0 win that was made possible by a Tendai Ndoro brace.

Last year, when he was at Cape Town City, Tinkler again inflicted defeat on Komphela’s men at the first hurdle of the MTN8, the Capetonians prevailing 1-0.

It hasn’t just been in the Cup competitions where Tinkler has beaten Komphela, as he is yet to lose to him in the league. Tinkler’s Pirates versus Chiefs derbies ended 1-1 and 3-1, while last season as City coach there was another 1-1 stalemate before the men from the Cape broke Amakhosi hearts with a goal at the death as they triumphed 3-2.

So it appears as if it all points to a SuperSport victory in Durban next Saturday, right?

Not necessarily, says Tinkler.

“I don’t choose games,” he said “I treat every game equally. It will be tough against Chiefs. I saw them against Pirates in the Carling Cup.”

Granted that statistics are nothing more than numbers, the SuperSport players are sure to walk onto the pitch with a bit of spring in their step, thanks to the knowledge that their coach has a good record against the opposition.