Chiefs enter final straight with test against Students
Chiefs enter final straight with test against Students

Posted in Features, News, Team News on Aug 29, 2020.

A rivalry that began in March 1978 will come to an end on Sunday afternoon at FNB Stadium when Kaizer Chiefs meet Bidvest for the final time in a league game.

Amakhosi will head to their regular home ground to play a crunch Absa Premiership tie against Wits, for what will be the final meeting between the sides as the Students are set to move to the Limpopo Province for next season with their club being sold to new owners.

The sides’ first league meeting came in the 1978 season when Chiefs defeated Wits home and away. They have squared off in every campaign barring 2005-06 when the Students were down in the second tier of South African Football. The sides share a storied history and have met on 45 occasions since the formation of the Premier Soccer League in 1996-97. Chiefs have been able to win 22 of these games and Wits have racked up 9 wins, with 14 games ending in a draw.

With Wits themselves harbouring title ambitions as they have an outside shot at a second league title and first since 2016-17, the game will be action packed with both teams keeping their eye on the main prize. They have already met once this season on 12 August when they clashed at the Orlando Stadium. Chiefs took the lead only for Wits to find a late equaliser.

Chiefs are back at FNB Stadium which prior to the current bio bubble is Amakhosi’s regular home ground. The Glamour Boys will be aiming to make home comfort count. Chiefs have already played 10 league games at the venue this season; winning seven, drawing one and losing two. Chiefs will also be looking to build on their strong away form this season which has seen them win 29 points from 13 road games in the league.

This game will be an interesting match up as Chiefs come up against a determined Wits team. Likewise, the lure of the title will be foremost on Chiefs’ mind and will be looking towards their experienced heads in the form of Lebogang Manyama, Bernard Parker, Willard Katsande and others to steer them ahead. Chiefs will also be able to welcome back their top scorer Samir Nurković who has scored 13 league goals this season and was on target when they draw 1-1 with Wits earlier in the month. He returns after serving a one match suspension which saw him sit out Chiefs 1-0 loss to Sundowns on Thursday evening.

Kick-off for Sunday’s game is at 15:30 with the game being televised on DStv SuperSport Channel 204 and SABC radio stations.

 

 

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