Absa Premiership

Free State Stars v Kaizer Chiefs


Charles Mopeli Stadium


Saturday 09 August 2014


15h00 kick-off

Kaizer Chiefs will travel to Qwaqwa for the opener of their 2014/15 Absa Premiership campaign when they visit Free State Stars at the Charles Mopeli Stadium on Saturday, 09 August 2014, kick-off at 15h00.

The Amakhosi will meet Stars, the team that endured a challenging season in 2013/14, ending 14th on the league table, just one point above the danger zone.

The Amakhosi go into the clash following a confidence boosting victory over Black Aces last weekend in the MTN 8 Cup.

Coach Baxter was cautiously optimistic ahead of the fixture. He said, "It will be the same challenge that we faced last week ahead of the MTN 8 quarterfinal agains Black Aces. It is going to be another tough one. At this stage we all go into the game with little information about the opponents."

Ea Lla Koto recorded seven wins, eight draws and 15 defeats for a haul of 29 points.

Stars was among the teams that stole points from the Amakhosi last season resulting in the failure to defend the league title they won in 2012/13, ending the season in second place, two points adrift of champions Mamelodi Sundowns

Last season the Amakhosi took four points off their Free State opponents, winning 2-0 away and drawing 1-1 at home in the return match.

Baxter continued, "We will approach the game with the same energy that we showed last weekend. We hope to display good football and gain the maximum points. Every point will be a matter of winning or losing the league title at the end."

In head-to-head stats, Stars and Chiefs have met in 29 league matches since 1996.

The Amakhosi have 18 wins compared to three for Ea Lla Koto, while eight matches have been drawn. Stars have won just two of their 14 home matches against Chiefs down the years, suffering eight defeats in the process.

Coach Baxter said the preparation for the much anticipated match went well despite the unavailability of Tshabalala, Rusike and Parker due to injuries. Karuru and Mngadi are still sidelined by the processing of their work permit and clearance respectively.