Amakhosi need time, but work to be done!

Most of the narrative after this match will be about Chiefs and not Sundowns, who have dealt thrashings to both Soweto giants on a regular basis in recent seasons. Amakhosi have now lost twice this season and five times in 10 matches under Zwane. It will take a long time for the coach to get his ideas across and for the playing style to be fully changed. In the meantime, there will be mistakes at the back that lead to goals – we saw that against Arrows last season from Njabulo Ngcobo and from Ngezana on Saturday.

The coach has a few issues to sort out. Firstly, he has to figure out who his fourth attacker is going to be if any of the firstchoice front three is absent. Solomons is not the answer as a winger, otherwise a big club would have signed him before he converted into a right back. The substitute performance from Sekgota had flashes of promise, but Khuliso Mudau ate him up in the one-versus-one duels and he looks like an impact player at best.

Zwane also needs to sort out his side’s defensive shape. If you play two fullbacks who are both allowed to get forward at the same time, in Blom, Frosler or Solomons,

then there is going to be a lot of space down the sides to exploit. Maart is an excellent deeplying playmaker, but he won’t be able to shield his back four defensively. Alexander brings defensive nous alongside him but isn’t suited to a passing game when Amakhosi have the ball – the return to the XI of Phathutshedzo Nange can’t come soon enough!

Sundowns, meanwhile, showed all their knowhow, quality and pragmatism. They defended deeper than usual, were more conservative with their fullbacks’ positioning than usual and didn’t mind allowing Chiefs to have a lot of the ball. They ruthlessly exploited errors and fatigue but still scored two goals from their own build-up play, taking the ball all the way from the central defenders to the final third for the third and fourth goals. It should be noted that Chiefs were missing two of their best players from midweek in Du Preez and Matlou, whilst Nange is just back from suspension and guys like Sifiso Hlanti and Edmilson Dove are still to come into the reckoning once match-fit. It’s not all doom and gloom and the future looks bright for the Glamour

Boys! ❐