"We will rise to the occasion," Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite promises ahead of Thursday’s Absa Premiership clash against AmaZulu.

The squad only arrived back in South Africa from Morocco on Tuesday afternoon.

Mashamaite, however, is unfazed when asked about the congested travelling, as the team already left already for Polokwane this Wednesday morning.

"It boils down to professionalism,” he reacts. “We had a long journey from Casablanca via Dubai back to Johannesburg and now we are hopping on the bus to Limpopo. But that’s how it is."

Amakhosi host Usuthu at Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium on Thursday evening (kick-off at 19:00).

With Chiefs topping the league table with six games left, Mashamaite insists: "We know the importance of this championship."

Usuthu are at present resurgent, having gained several points in recent games, while fighting tooth and nail to avoid the drop to the first division.

"We fight to win the league title and AmaZulu battle to stave off relegation,” Mashamaite adds. “We both have a lot at stake."

The match tickets are sold for R40 for adults and R10 for children under the age of 12 at Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers outlets nationwide.