Caught right in the middle

Former Chiefs and Sundowns midfielder Josta Dladla believes both teams have the blueprint for success.

If there is one person really caught in the middle when it comes to the Absa Premiership title race, it is Josta Dladla (below), who in his career won the hearts of Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs fans – the two clubs he spent most of his career at.

The league chase appears to be one of the most exciting in recent years as Amakhosi lead the pack with 48 points and eight games to play. What makes it even more exciting is that Chiefs still have to play the defending champions who are hot on their heels, trailing Chiefs by four points, with a game in hand.

“The 50-year-anniversary was a huge deal for Chiefs but they have not won any major trophies in the last five seasons,” Dladla told Phakaaathi.

“The coaches have done the (right) job, with the training and eveything. At this point, what will work the most is the mentality and the heart of the players. It is really up to the players and whether they are going to absorb the information from the coaches and turn it into good performances on the pitch,” he said.

“Both teams have got the blueprint, now they have to go out there and graft for their team and get into the history books. Either way, if Chiefs win it, the squad will always be remembered as the team that won the league in the 50th anniversary year of the club. On the other hand, if it goes to Sundowns, history will remember them as the group that won the league three times in a row,” he added.

Dladla continued: “For the Chiefs players, most of them have not won the league at all. They want to taste it and they can smell it, it is just around the corner for them. At the end of the day it is all about the attitude and the willingness of the players to say ‘I want to be like the Doctor Khumalos and the Shoes Moshoeus’. My mentality was always wanting to be in the history books, I wanted people to talk about me even when I am gone and these players have got a chance to do that.”

The Absa Premiership will kick off again next Tuesday, as Orlando Pirates take on Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs face Bidvest Wits the following day.