Chiefs, who trounced Maritzburg 6-1 earlier in the season will be looking for a similar kind of result on Sunday one which would see them make headway in their bid to end off in the top eight positions on the league standings. Anything less than a win against the leagues sixteenth placed team could means that Chiefs would finish outside of the top eight slots in the standings. As a result The Amakhosi would not qualify qualify for the SAA Supa8 competition, which ultimately means that they would be unable to defend their SAA Supa8 crown.

The importance of a win in this game could not be emphasized enough and Chiefs coach Kosta Papic has made it clear that he is expecting nothing less than a convincing win as he comes up against on his former teams for the second week in a row.

Chiefs should fancy themselves to get the three points they need on Sunday as Maritzburg have not been in the best of form. The Amakhosi will want to sign off the season with two wins which would see them gaining six valuable points

Historically Speaking

Maritzburg United came into the PSL after the clubs owners bought out the franchise of Tembisa Classic at the start of the 2005 – 2006 season and competed in the league during the 2005 – 2006 season as Classic FC, the first league encounter between The Amakhosi and Maritzburg United took place at the Olimpia Park in Rustenburg in October 2005 and ended in a goalless draw.

The next meeting between the two teams in the latter part of last season saw relegation threatened Maritzburg United, upset the formbook when they managed to defeat Chiefs by a single goal scored courtesy of Dingaan Mabalane.

It was a frustrating afternoon for the Amakhosi at the now demolished Kings Park Soccer Stadium in Durban as Chiefs had twenty five shots on target during the game but were unable to find the back of the net. The win though did help Maritzburg stave off relegation and allowed them to stay up another season in the top flight of South African football, via the Mvela platinum playoffs

While Chiefs might have found it difficult scoring against Maritzburg United last season, it has virtually been a whole new game this time around as The Amakhosi ran riot, defeating United 6-1 when the teams squared up to each other in December last year. Kaizer Motaung Junior was Chiefs hero on the day as he scored a hat trick, further strikes from Serge Djiehoua, Gert Schalkwyk and Shaun Bartlett completed the rout, there was a stage during the game when Maritzburg managed to score an equalizer two minutes after Kaizer Junior had initially given Chiefs the lead.

Sandile Ndlovu cancelled out Juniors 24th minute opener with a goal on 26 minutes, once Junior had restored Chiefs lead in the 39th minute it was one way traffic and there was no coming back for Maritzburg from there onwards.

Key players

Although Maritzburg United have for the second season running not lived up to the expectations of their millionaire investors, the small team from the heartland of KwaZulu/Natal have been able to light up the league championships with a number of players whose individual skill might not have shone through as their team have had a difficult season.

There can be no doubting that players the likes of Colleen Zimba have played their part in trying to avoid the drop, while Maritzburg might be going down it is widely believed that Zimba a tough terrier like midfielder will in all likelihood be staying in the PSL.

Sunday’s game against The Amakhosi provides Zimba with the perfect opportunity to impress potential buyers in order for him to secure a contract with a team in the top flight, which will ensure that he is not lost to the PSL. Another of Zimba’s teammates who has in the past worked overtime against The Amakhosi is midfielder Graham King, who is a budding young talent and has been tipped as a future national team candidate. King, like Zimba will be out to put up a show against Chiefs and will do all it takes to ensure that he does not play in the MVELA League next season, King has the skill and talent to ask questions of The Amakhosi on Sunday and will have to be watched closely. Marshalling Maritzubrg’s defence on Sunday will be marshalled by Zimbabwean international defender Onismor Bhasera who has made it clear that he has no intention of playing in the Mvela league next term, this means that he too will throw everything on the line to ensure his team are victorious on Sunday.

With the possibility of Shaun Bartlett and Kaizer Motaung Junior missing on Sunday, as they have not yet over come various injuries, Serge Djiehoua could once again play a starring role for Chiefs up front on Sunday. He proved during his last outing against Orlando Pirates during the recent Soweto derby that he is hitting the same kind of form that he displayed at the beginning of last season, prior to picking up what looked like a career threatening injury during a league game against Jomo Cosmos.

A game against Maritzburg United will hold special memories for the Ivorian as he scored his first league goal in over a year, during Chiefs 6-1 triumph over Martizburg in December it was a goal made all the more special as he scored three minutes after entering the field as a second half substitute.

While the strikers got the goals back in December it was Siyabonga Nkosi who played a key role in ensuring that they got the right supply of passes in dangerous areas, Kosta Papic will be looking towards Nkosi’s creativity in the midfield to provide the openings for the likes of Djiehoua up front. Chiefs will be expecting another big performance from Nkosi as he holds the keys towards unlocking the United defence, a star performance from him will win the day for The Amakhosi.

Fixture Information:

Maritzburg United Vs Kaizer Chiefs


Harry Gwala Stadium


Pietermaritzburg


13th May 2007

Kick Off: 15h15

Chiefs Vs Maritzburg United results since 2005 – 2006

2005 - 2006

26th October 2005


Kaizer Chiefs 0 Maritzburg United 0

2nd April 2006


Maritzburg United 1 Kaizer Chiefs 0

2006 – 2007

17th December 2007


Kaizer Chiefs 6 Maritzburg United 1

Chiefs Vs Maritzburg United results since 2005 – 2006