Premier Soccer League


Germiston Stadium


Germiston, Gauteng


Wednesday 15th August 2008


19h30

Playing Conditions: Clear skies, strong south westerly winds, temperature at kick off 11°C

With a number of Premier Soccer League fixtures having taken place on Wednesday afternoon, a host of teams would have played their first matches of the 2007 – 2008 season, by the time The Amakhosi take to the field at the Germiston Stadium to take on Benoni Premier United in their opening league fixture of the season.

It took The Amakhosi just over an hour to get to the Germiston stadium from their base outside of Johannesburg, and they were literally met by an icy reception, as they disembarked from their team coach at the Germiston Stadium. As a cold wind swept across the mini city just east of Johannesburg bringing with it a cold chill, the cold weather won’t bother Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral who will be looking towards his team to warm things up with some entertaining football.

The Changes

Ertugral has wasted no time in ringing the changes from the team who were defeated in the Telkom Charity Cup by Pirates in Mmabatho around ten days ago, in all he has made three changes to his starting eleven for Wednesday’s opening encounter. The first change sees Jimmy Tau taking the place of Jonathan Quartey at right back, with the Ghanaian awaiting the finalization of his paper work Tau gets the opportunity to show off his credentials as the man for the right back slot to Ertugral. A further shuffle from Ertugral has the Chiefs youth team product Sandile Zuke coming in for Tshepo Bulu and most interestingly the Chiefs coach has opted for the youthful exuberance and energy of Mandla Masango ahead of Shaun Bartlett, Masango will partner Mabhudi Khenyeza in attack against Benoni.

Ertugral’s fourth change in his starting eleven is a straight forward swop in the midfield, and has Thabo Mooki coming in for Thuso Phala who is amongst the reserves for Chiefs on Wednesday. Chiefs South African u-23 international Itumeleng Khune will deputize for Emile Baron on Wednesday, Khune who was on Tuesday called up for Amaglug glug’s next Olympic Qualifying game against Nigeria later this month has been to the substitutes bench ahead of Markus Bocsker.

Debutants

The Chiefs coach has handed no less then five new players the opportunity to earn their Premier Soccer League debut’s for The Amakhosi on Wednesday, defenders Moketi Tsotetsi and Onismor Bhasera.

Along with Sandile Zuke, Mandla Masango and Mabhudi Khenyeza will be taking to the field for the first time in official competition for Chiefs. The total number of players making their official Chiefs debut could rise to seven by the end of Wednesday evenings game, as Ertugral has named Tshepo Bulu and Thuso Phala amongst the substitutes for Chiefs first game of the season. It is the first time since the opening game of the 1999 – 2000 season that Chiefs have named more than five debutants in their squad for the opening game of a league campaign, it waits to be seen which of the new boys will have the biggest impact and help Chiefs start the campaign by gaining three valuable points.

Starting eleven:

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2): 1. Emile Baron, 2. Jimmy Tau, 3. Onismor Bhasera, 4. Cyril Nzama, 8. Tinashe Nengomasha, 27. Gerald Sibeko, 12. Thabo Mooki, 20. Sandile Zuke,

22. Mandla Masango, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza

Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker