“This is going to be the first game of the New Year,” coach Steve Komphela looks ahead to Saturday’s clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. “It’s a match that can affect the league championship.”

Amakhosi lost the Telkom Knockout final against the Brazilians, but three days later they beat Bidvest Wits 2-1 at home in the Cape of Love & Peace.

“Our team has shown that they are great in comebacks,” Komphela stresses, “we did the same when we lost to Orlando Pirates, before beating them a week later in the Telkom Knockout semifinal. Any comeback is always a sign of a team’s character.”

Chiefs are at present in fourth position on the Absa Premiership log, having 21 points from 12 games, five points behind log leaders Sundowns.

The Amakhosi coach, however, pointed out a few positives. The team is ranked third when it comes to goals scored. Chiefs have netted 19 times, while only two teams have managed to find the net once more. On the other hand, the side has only conceded nine goals in the twelve Absa Premiership games played so far.

On top of that, Chiefs are the only team that has lost once, other sides have lost twice or more (Maritzburg United, for example, have lost eight matches out of 12 played).

To win the league title, usually, except the last two seasons, 60 points collected from 30 matches is enough, that’s two points per game.

Amakhosi are at present on 21 points (from 12 matches). “That’s three points from where we would have loved to be,” continuous Komphela. “All these statistics give an indication of where we are. There are a lot of positives. Yes, of course, we want to do better and that’s what we plan to do during the second half of the season. There are still 18 league matches to go.”

To plan for the second half of the season, the team went for a four-day training camp in the Vaal.

“After the win over Wits,” Komphela reflects, “we trained on 28, 29 and 30 December, before going on camp from 2 January. Football is physical, tactical, technical and mental. We prepared in the Vaal for the Sundowns match, maybe even more mentally than, for example, tactically. We are prepared and ready to go on Saturday.”

Amakhosi will host the Brazilians at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, 9 January 2016 (kick-off is at 20:15).

Tickets for this clash are sold at Computicket and Shoprite/Checkers outlets nationwide. The cost of a stand ticket is R40 (R10 for children under the age of 12) and R30 for a parking ticket.