Crossroads match for Chiefs, Chippa

R1-MILLION BOOST FOR TAB SOCCER POOLS

It’s another fantastic weekend for TAB soccer customers with great matches and a R1-million boost to five pools tomorrow, including a R500,000 add-in to the first Soccer 10 of the day which should produce a pool of over R3 million!

Plus there are carryovers to both Soccer 13 pools this weekend, so there’s a chance of TAB soccer pools creating a couple more instant millionaires!

One of the key games in tomorrow’s big Soccer 10 pool is the clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Chippa United.

Gavin Hunt’s success and longevity in the game made him a natural choice when Kaizer Chiefs were looking to turn their fortunes around last season. It seemed the perfect fit of championship-winning coach with the country’s most popular club.

But it turned into one of the worst league seasons in Chiefs’ fabled history, even if they did get to the African Champions League final, and saw Hunt fired for only the second time in his 22-year coaching career.

Chiefs have since re-hired Stuart Baxter and Hunt has gone to Chippa, a major step down for someone of his profile. But such was his eagerness to stay involved in the top flight that he took the Gqeberha-based job.

Hopes of both injecting new life into their respective clubs have not been realised, at least not in the early stages of the season.

Chiefs showed some early revival under Baxter, but since then have looked as uninspiring as last season, collecting two points from their last four PSL games.

Chippa are already down among the strugglers, making tomorrow’s clash at Soccer City about much more than the story of Hunt’s return to face his previous club.

It is a key juncture for the two sides with both devoid of confidence and staring another difficult season in the face. Chippa have pulled off an upset at Soccer City previously and there is every chance that might happen again, plunging Chiefs deeper into crisis.

Overall Chiefs have better players but little forward ammunition. Leonardo Castro and Samir Nurkovic are injured and said to be on their way out anyway.

SuperSport United are fancied to win at home against Baroka and cut into Sundowns’ lead at the top of the table, while Cape Town City are worth making a banker bet to win as they take on Sekhukhune United away.