The quality time spent with his father Americo in the Ivorian Capital Abidjan brought with it a lot of advice from his father. Serge who was laid low last season when he picked up a knee injury in league game against Cosmos did return towards the end of last season from the injury which doctors thought could have ended most players’ careers.

Djiehoua picked himself up and fought hard to get back to full fitness after undergoing a lengthy operation to fix his damaged knee.

Since returning for pre season training he has until now not featured in any matches as he had been suffering from a bad bout of flu.

Looking leaner and meaner, Djiehoua who at times during his long lay off said he felt depressed, says he took solace in a strange statistic which helped aide his recovery as he explains further “just after I got injured and when I was laying in bed with my leg in a cast, I felt down.

Someone told me that Siyabonga Nomvete and Collins Mbesuma picked up injuries early on in their Chiefs careers and they returned to score many goals and torment defenders - I will do the same”.

Serge is of the opinion that he could play a big part in assisting Chiefs towards regaining their PSL title, which they forfeited to Sundowns last season.

“Over the off season and now during pre season I have been working very hard and I feel over the moon, the thing is that I know that this can be the season when Serge Djiehoua delivers for Chiefs” said Serge.

He is aware that he will be in a tussle for a place up front with Kaizer Junior who has shown good form in the pre season as well Louis Agyemang, the formidable Shaun Bartlett and the all weather David Radebe.

Serge adds “I do not think that one needs to see fellow strikers as competition. I have been observing them and instead of replacing any one I have been developing myself around playing along side each guy. I know what they are capable of and I know that I could fit in well with either guy alongside me.

Obviously I played a couple of times with Louis last season.

During training I have worked with all of the other strikers and I do know that I could form a formidable partnership with either of them”.

In the mean time Chiefs tricky and delightfully skilful midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi has no qualms with making a return to Bloemfontein and is relishing the prospect of coming face to face with his old team mates at Celtic.

Before he faces his former teammates, it will be the fans he will have to deal with first as Chiefs will take on Swallows before they could think of a meeting with Celtic who will play SuperSport United later on Sunday.

Speaking on Friday, Nkosi said of his return to the city that put him on the map and the fans who once adored him “ I am really looking forward to going back to Bloemfontein, I enjoyed living there and obviously the supporters and I had a good relationship which made my stay there really enjoyable.

I did not think that we could have played against Celtic so early on in my career - I hope we meet them in the final on Sunday” said Nkosi.

Serge and Siybaonga will both be aiming to get some valuable match practise in the Mangaung Cup on Sunday and will be out to help The Amakhosi get their hands on their third trophy of the pre season campaign.