Posted in News, Team News on Apr 06, 2023.
Kaizer Chiefs will go into their weekend DStv Premiership against Marumo Gallants at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night with a sense of renewed verve and vigour, as they go in search of their fifth successive league win (six in all matches). Chiefs come into the game on the back of a 2-1 home win against Stellenbosch in their last league game and take on a Gallants side which, despite languishing in 16th place on the standings, have been battling away recently in an effort to avoid the drop. They won their midweek match against Royal AM 3-1 in Bloemfontein on Wednesday night.
Chiefs defender, Zitha Kwinika, is all too aware of the potential perils that come with facing a team like Gallants, who are looking to turn their season around.
“Considering where they are and also seeing that they got the result against Royal AM, they showing they are fighting for their lives,” he says, “and for us, it is a matter of us being on our game and not taking it lightly. Sometimes the log is not a true reflection of a team’s performance.”
Kwinika, however, is also buoyed by the fact that Chiefs themselves are on a good run and is determined to maintain the team’s upward trajectory. For him, “winning is part of our culture; the more you win the more you get used to it. We are in the process of finding consistency in winning, which was missing before, and the more consistent we get at winning, the better it will be for the team.”
This game represents Chiefs’ fourth league game against Marumo Gallants. Last season, Amakhosi recorded a 1-0 home win and drew away. The teams shared the points as well, earlier this campaign.
Victory will see Chiefs win a third consecutive home league game, a feat the club last achieved in the 2019-20 season, and winning is very much on the mind of Amakhosi forward Christian Saile Basomboli, who says, “We have won the last four league games and there is no stopping there for us. They won 3-1 in their last game, but we will train with the right intensity and be ready for Saturday”.
Chiefs presently are on five-game winning run in all competitions and victory against Gallants will help Amakhosi’s cause as they look to keep pace with Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United, with all three teams on 40 points as they challenge for second place and a spot in next year’s CAF Champions League.
With games against two teams in the top five - SuperSport United and Cape Town City - still to come, second spot is within reach and three points against Marumo Gallants will certainly boost Amakhosi’s quest to participate in next season's CAF Champions League.
The match kicks off at 20:00 on Saturday at FNB Stadium. Tickets are on sale through www.ticketpros.co.za and other outlets including Spar Supermarkets, Sasol filling stations and Postnet at R60 per ticket. There will also be tickets for the Amakhosi Family Zone courtesy of John Deere starting at R220.
