Posted in News on May 16, 2007.
Chiefs are in a precarious position as the final hours of the 2006-2007 season approach; a win against Silver Stars could still not be enough to ensure The Amakhosi’s passage into next seasons SAA Supa8 competition.
While Chiefs will have to rely on some favourable results from elsewhere going their way to guarantee qualification for the SAA Supa8 competition, Kosta Papic will expect his team, convincing 3-0 victors over Maritzburg United the past weekend, to do their half of the job and end off three points to the good on Sunday.
Stars have already confirmed their place in the top eight with a win this past weekend against BidVest Wits. Stars also managed to get three goals past the Students, in turn collecting six points of their last three games which included taking three points off PSL Champions Mamelodi Sundowns when they defeated the Champions elect 2-0 on the 25th April.
With seemingly nothing left to play for, one would expect Stars to perhaps take the occasion lightly on Sunday, which could work in Chiefs’ favour as it could make their work in collecting three points easier.
Historically Speaking
Chiefs and Stars came face to face for the first time in December 2003 in Stars’ first season in the Premier Soccer League; the inaugural meeting between the teams came in the 2003 Coca-Cola Cup Final. Stars stunned the league when, as Rookies, they made it all the way to the final at their first attempt, the fairy tale ended at the final hurdle for the PSL rookies as The Amakhosi were convincing winners. Stanton Fredericks opened the scoring before Patrick Mayo turned home a penalty in injury time at the end of the second half to make sure of the match for Chiefs, who as a result won back the trophy they won in 2001 and lost in 2002.
The two league games contested between the teams during the 2003-2004 season ended in a 0-0 stalemate, it was Chiefs who made history during the 2004-2005 when they became the first team to win a league game between the two teams. Shoes Moshoeu got onto to the scoreboard after 34 minutes, and Collins Mbesuma struck with a powerful volley 30 minutes later to put Chiefs 2-0 up. Even though Stars managed to get a goal back late in the second half, it was Chiefs who would go down in the record books as the first team to win a league game between the teams.
Stars defeated Chiefs for the first in any competition during a league game played on the 16th November at the Olimpia Park Stadium in Rustenburg, despite taking the lead twice in the match The Amakhosi who played most of the second half with ten men when defender Fabian McCarthy was sent off. They were unable to hold onto their early advantage and lost the game 4-2, as Louis Agyemang's first half strike and Songwe Chalwe’s headed goal in the second half were cancelled out by goals from Willem Jackson via the penalty spot, a Katlego Mashego brace and a goal in the ninetieth minute for Koketso Mmotong.
Revenge if that’s what it can be labelled was found for Chiefs in Rustenburg down the road from the Olimpia Park Stadium at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on the second last day of last season. When Chiefs came back from a goal down to overtake Stars thanks to goals from Patrick Mayo and Jimmy Tau as Chiefs rolled home 2-1 winners, when the teams met earlier in the current season the match ended in a 0-0 deadlock.
Key Players
With the news from the Kaizer Chiefs medical team not looking optimistic for Shaun Bartlett and Kaizer Motaung Junior, taking to the field on Sunday against Stars it looks as though Kosta Papic will once again rely on the front pairing of David Radebe and Serge Djiehoua to find the goals for The Amakhosi.
The pair were a handful of Maritzburg United during Chiefs 3-0 win this past weekend, Radebe contributed with by scoring a superb diving headed goal when Chiefs were a goal ahead.
Radebe and Serge Djiehoua who found form playing up front for the reserves will again be aiming to give the opposition a tough time, just as he did against Pirates and Maritzburg. Djiehoua will be looking to add to his tally of goals for the season. Should he find the back of the net on Sunday, the Ivorian striker will be able to take his goal tally for the season to five.
Serge’s ability to score goals from tough situations and use his big frame to hold off defenders as rendered him a key asset to Chiefs in the last couple of game, a lot will rest on his shoulders as The Amakhosi aim to end the season on a winning note.
While Djiehoua and Radebe have been doing the deed up front Jimmy Tau has been keeping out the opposition at the opposite end of the field, Tau displayed on Sunday that he is as good in helping his team in attack as he is in thwarting the opposition. The former Orlando Pirates and current Bafana Bafana defender was in scintillating form on Sunday against Maritzburg United, and helped set up two of Chiefs three goals with pin point passing and accurate crossing.
Tau’s cool head will be needed to help Chiefs get through this game and hopefully into the top eight places in the league, he will also use the fact that midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha has found form to his advantage. The link play between the defender and the midfielder will go along way in helping Chiefs be creative and purposeful in attack.
Silver Stars with their swashbuckling, attacking and exciting football had the rest of the league looking on in envy when the 2006-2007 season, after the first round of games at the end of December Owen Da Gama’s team were sitting pretty at the top of PSL table. In addition they had the Telkom Charity Cup in their possession as well, a number of disappointing performances in the second round of league matches put paid to their title ambitions. Even though they might not have come close to winning the title Stars have had a successful season, one of their Stars in the first round of league matches Hareaipha Marumo on his early form was expected to top the goal scoring charts.
A dip in form and a battle with injury saw him lose pace on the front runners, but Marumo has demonstrated this season that he has once again found his feet and can score goals. The former South Africa u-23 international was a handful when Stars sent Chiefs crashing out of the Telkom Cup in November, the fact that he has found his goal scoring touch again means that he and strike partner Dingane Masanabo could prove to be a handful for the likes of Jimmy Tau on Sunday. Kosta Papic will do well to advice his defenders to keep an eye out on the pair who have between them found the back of the net on eleven occasions during the season.
The Final Frontier
Sunday afternoons clash between The Amakhosi and Stars sees Chiefs back at Vodacom Loftus, for their first home game in over a month and it will also be the clubs final game of the season. Chiefs coach Kosta Papic and his players will be looking to send the fans into the off-season, with an optimistic outlook for next season with a sound showing on Sunday.
The match kicks off at 15h00 on Sunday and tickets for the game can be purchased at any Computicket outlet or Shoprite/ Checkers store around the country, fans are urged to purchase their tickets early for the game as a sizeable crowd is expected for Chiefs final match of the 2006 – 2007 season.
Kaizer Chiefs vs Silver Stars in league matches since 2003-2004
2003-2004
Silver Stars 0 Kaizer Chiefs 0
Kaizer Chiefs 0 Silver Stars 0
2004-2005
Kaizer Chiefs 2 (Moshoeu, Mbesuma) Silver Stars 1
Silver Stars 0 Kaizer Chiefs 0
2005-2006
Kaizer Chiefs 2 (Agyemang, Chalwe) Silver Stars 4
Silver Stars 1 Kaizer Chiefs 2 (Mayo, Tau)
2006 – 2007
Silver Stars 0 Kaizer Chiefs 0
Kaizer Chiefs Vs Silver Stars head to head in the league since 2003 – 2004
P W L D GF GA GD
Chiefs 7 2 1 4 6 6 0
Stars 7 1 2 4 6 6 0
