Posted in News on Sep 11, 2007.
Three points for Chiefs against SuperSport who they last defeated in a league game in May 2005, would go down better for the Chiefs coach then any other gift he could receive. While The Amakhosi have started off the season by being one of the most attractive and impressive teams around, playing some enterprising, attacking and creative football SuperSport have taken time to adjust to life under new coach Gavin Hunt and after three games this season they have collected just three points.
Ertugral though knows that his team can not expect to walk into the Vodacom Loftus Stadium in Tshwane on Sunday and expect an easy ride, as Supersport always up their game when they come up against The Amakhosi. What Chiefs do have in their favour going into this game is that they are a team on form with a number of players, in the guise of recently capped goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, the attacking left winger Onismor Bhasera, midfield strong man Tinashe Nengomasha and Shaun Bartlett a whole of host of players who are currently on form. In the past couple of weeks Chiefs have had tough league games against Jomo Cosmos and BidVest Wits coming up against another tough opponent like SuperSport will not be anything new for Ertugral and his team.
The History
SuperSport are the one team who can boast having an impressive record against The Amakhosi and many would say they deserve their title as Chiefs number one voodoo team, and the statistics from Chiefs head to head record against United in league encounters since the inception of the PSL in 1996 will attest to that fact. Over the 22 PSL games that Chiefs and SuperSport have clashed The Amakhosi have only ever defeated them on four occasions with Chiefs most recent win coming on the penultimate day of the 2004 – 2005 season, when Scara Ngobese grabbed the only game of a tightly contested affair. Which earned Chiefs three precious points and Chiefs went on to wrap up the title a few days later with a win against Bloemfontein Celtic, although The Amakhosi’s wins over United in PSL matches have been few and far between on each occasion that Chiefs have walked away the winner the result and the game has been dramatic.
One of the most entertaining games in the past decade played between Chiefs and United took place at Johannesburg’s Rand Stadium in November 1998, in a game where Chiefs took the lead early on through an eight minute Marc Batchelor spot kick. Michael Arujo brought SuperSport level with a well taken shot from distance which he curled around Brian Baloyi in the 12th minute, Thabo Mooki though put Chiefs 2-1 up when he finished off a Chiefs move by slotting the ball home from close range. Michael Arujo got SuperSport on to a level footing midway through the first half with his second goal of the game, when he blasted home a free kick inside the Chiefs 18 yard area after Brian Baloyi handled a Patrick Mabedi back pass. Siyabonga Nomvete restored Chiefs lead just past the hour mark before Doctor Khumalo made certain of the points with a goal late in the game, to ensure that Chiefs won what was an exciting and evenly contested game.
That game triggered what was a Chiefs hat trick of league victories over United as The Amakhosi then went on to win the return game in April with Pollen Ndlanya netting a brace, and Emake Mamale won Chiefs the points with the only goal of the game when the teams met again for the first time during the 2000 – 2001 season in November 2000 in Mabopane. Chiefs home and away wins over SuperSport in the 1998 – 1999 season are the only time that The Amakhosi have been victorious over SuperSport both home and away in a single PSL season.
Who to watch out for
Muhsin Ertugral by his own admission has been very cautious in being over optimistic at any time during the season, at the moment the Chiefs coach will be happy with the fact that a number of his star players are beginning to shine at the correct time. One of the players whose recent form has caught the Chiefs coach off guard is David Obua, the Ugandan international had been unable to play in any of Chiefs pre-season games due to injury but when he turned out for the Uganda national team on Saturday in a Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier he netted a hat trick on his return to competitive football. Obua’s return from injury will give Ertugral further attacking options and the Chiefs coach will be hoping that he can continue from where left off on the weekend, when Chiefs travel to Tshwane on Sunday. Another of the Chiefs players who recently returned from injury was Siphiwe Tshabalala who was highly impressive against Wits, during The Amakhosi’s narrow loss after coming off the bench in the second half he was able to get a number of telling crosses into the danger areas. The man who was on the end of Tshabalala’s crosses during the Wits encounter Shaun Bartlett was unfortunate not to have found his name on the score sheet in that match, Bartlett too is getting himself into excellent goal scoring situations.
On SuperSport United’s end we saw their captain Ricardo Katza come to the fore on both occasions when the teams clashed last season, during the first game he scored twice as the teams drew 2-2 and in the next game he marshaled his defense well as SuperSport kept Chiefs at bay winning 2-0. While Katza will try and hold things together at the back Dane Klate and Katlego Mashego will be trying to unlock the Chiefs defense, last season Mashego scored on his return to United when they defeated Chiefs in January he made the most of an Amakhosi defensive lapse to pounce and double United’s advantage. Mashego has found the going tough this season scoring just once in three games, albeit that his only goal came from a spot kick against Benoni Premier United.
Premier Soccer League Round 1, 27th August 2006
SuperSport United 2 (2. Katza 40 min & 71 min pen) Kaizer Chiefs 2 (24. Mathebula 50 min, 7. Motaung Jnr 86 min)
Venue: Vodacom Loftus Pretoria
Date: 27 August 2006
Line Up’s:
SuperSport United
1. A. Arendse, 4. T. Mahoa, 3. J. Matloa, 6. S. Gaxa, 2. R. Katza, 13. S. Poggenpoel, 10. A. Phiri, 11. T. Modise, 22. J. Chamanga (9. Bucuane 88 min), 21. K. Mashego (17. Tzabedze 71 min), 7. D. Klate (15. Williams 81 min)
Substitutes: 16. G. Johnson, 17. T. Tzabedze, 28. S. Mahlangu, 29. S. Kandera, 15. E. Williams, 12. T. Coyle, 9. M. Bucuane
Coach: Pitso Mosimane
Kaizer Chiefs:
1.R. Fernandez, 2. J. Tau, 44. S. Mkhonza, 4. C. Nzama, 13. D. Obua, 28. D. Spencer (20. Agyemang 78 min), 24. D. Mathebula (7. Motaung Jnr 78 min), 18. A. Zwane (11. Ngobese 65 min), 10. S. Nkosi, 25. G. Schalkwyk, 17. S. Bartlett
Substitutes: 32. I. Khune, 6. F. McCarthy, 7. K. Motaung Jnr, 11. E. Ngobese, 20. L. Agyemang, 8.T. Nengomasha, 27. G. Sibeko
Yellow Cards: Kaizer Chiefs: 24. David Mathebula 20 min, 4. Cyril Nzama 70 min, 7. Kaizer Motaung Junior 86 min
SuperSport United: 2. Ricardo Katza 48 min, 10. Alfred Phiri 54 min
Referee: B. Gqubile
Assistant 1: E. Molefe
Assistant 2: H. Radebe
Premier Soccer League Round 2, 6th January 2007
Kaizer Chiefs 0 Super Sport United (12. G. Mofokeng 19 min, 9. Mphela 65 min)
Vodacom Loftus, Tshwane (Pretoria)
Premier Soccer League
Kick Off: 20h10
6th January 2007
Temperature: 27° C
Line Up’s:
Kaizer Chiefs: 1. R. Fernandez, 2. J. Tau, 6. F. McCarthy, 21. P. Mayo, 33. D. Mototo (9. Djiehoua 55 min), 10. S. Nkosi, 13. D. Obua, 27. G. Sibeko, 8. T. Nengomasha (25. Schalkwyk 77 min), 7. K. Motaung Jnr, 17. S. Bartlett (20. Agyemang 9min)
Substitutes: 16. E. Baron, 44. S. Mkhonza, 4. C. Nzama, 20. L. Agyemang, 25. G. Schalkwyk, 9. S. Djiehoua, 31. D. Radebe.
SuperSport United: 31. D. Onyango, 2. R. Katza, 3. J. Matola, 12. G. Mofokeng, 6. S. Gaxa, 10. A. Phiri (9. Mphela 59 min), 11. T. Modise, 13. S. Poggenpoel (26. September 90+ min), 28. S. Mahlangu, 21. K. Mashego, 22. J. Chamanga (17. Tzabedze 84 min).
Substitutes: 30. L. Niewenhuis, 8. R. Rantjie, 17. T. Tzabedze, 9. K. Mphela, 4. T. Mahoa, 23. S. Kaondera, 26. T. September.
Cautions:
Kaizer Chiefs, Yellow Cards: 27. Gerald Sibeko 33 min
SuperSport United, Yellow Cards: 13. Shaun Poggenpoel 17 min, 21. Katlego Mashego 74 min, Siyabonga Nkosi.
Match Officials:
Referee: Jerome Damon
Assistant 1: Steven Moshotle
Assistant 2: Enoch Molefe
4th Official: Robert Sithole
Match Commissioner: Phillip Masemola
Chiefs Vs SuperSport United results since inception of the PSL in 1996-1997
1996/1997
Kaizer Chiefs 1-1 Supersport United
Supersport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs
1997/1998
Supersport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs 0-2 Supersport United
1998/1999
SuperSport United 2-4 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs 2-0 SuperSport United
1999/2000
SuperSport United 0-1 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs 1-2 SuperSport United
2000/2001
SuperSport United 2-2 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs 1-2 SuperSport United
2001/2002
Kaizer Chiefs 2-3 SuperSport United
SuperSport 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs
2002/2003
Kaizer Chiefs 1-2 SuperSport United
SuperSport United 2-2 Kaizer Chiefs
2003/2004
Kaizer Chiefs 0-1 SuperSport
SuperSport United 3-0 Kaizer Chiefs
2004/2005
Kaizer Chiefs 0-0 SuperSport United
SuperSport United 0-1 Kaizer Chiefs
2005/2006
SuperSport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs 0-1 SuperSport United
2006/2007
SuperSport United 2-2 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs 0-2 SuperSport United
