“The season is not over yet,” captain Siphiwe ‘Shabba’ Tshabalala stresses ahead of Saturday’s encounter against Ajax Cape Town. “This is the time to show character. As experienced players we must carry the younger players through this period as we try to return to winning ways.”

The clash is scheduled to take place at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, 16 April (kick-off is at 20:15, while gates open at 17:30).

“We still need to play six league matches,” continues ‘Shabba’ who scooped the ‘Man of the Match’ award in the two-all draw against Mpumalanga Black Aces on Tuesday night. “We want to win the Q4-innovation, as the league title is no longer in our hands.”

Kaizer Chiefs trail Absa Premiership log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by fifteen points with six games to go.

“We are aware that our supporters are not happy with our performance this season,” Tshabalala says, before adding: “I just want to make clear that we are in the same boat, we are also not happy at all with this turn of events. But we have to soldier on and keep working hard. Let them come to the stadium to witness us showing the hunger to win the game.”

“It will be tough on Saturday,” the Chiefs captain admits. “We know Ajax and they are fighters. We will respect them. We plan, however, to even improve on Tuesday’s performance. We really played well, although we were a bit unfortunate to concede the equaliser in the last minute.”

The games between Chiefs and Ajax have proven to be entertaining and not to be missed affairs for both sets of supporters as well as neutrals.

Match tickets are available at Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers for R40 only.