While the weather might have temporarily altered, expect things to be heated when Chiefs and Swallows clash in a Telkom Cup game at Vodacom Loftus on Saturday evening. With local pride at stake, expect the clash of the neighbors to be an open contest.

Chiefs' on-song midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala is not expecting any thing less than a fight from Swallows, and believes that winning the midfield battle against what he describes as a solid Swallows core will be key to The Amakhosi winning the game and progressing to the quarterfinals. Tshabalala is waiting with baited breath to do battle with the likes of Swallows captain Goodman Mazibuko and Lefa Tsutsulupa.

Swallows Skipper tough nut

Chiefs and Swallows will both have aims of using Saturday evening’s game to once again reignite their league campaigns and Tshabalala is not shying away from the fact that the game will be won or lost in the midfield. While the recalled Bafana Bafana star is raring to go at his hometown boys from across Soweto, he has picked out the Swallows captain as one of their pillars of strength in the opposition midfield.

Tshabalala is determined though to take Mazibuko head on as he said: “I have always felt that Goodman is a real midfield strong man, a tough no nonsense competitor who will fight you with everything he has. Playing against a player like him will spur me on and I feel that at the moment our midfield is playing with the kind of confidence and self belief that can help us overcome Mazibuko and Swallows.”

Tsutsulupa too

Part of Swallows midfield make up is Lefa Tsutsulupa and Cecil Oerson who in the past have lifted their game in matches against The Amakhosi. According to Tshabalala it will be important for Chiefs to neutralize the threat of Tsutsulupa and Oerson as Tsutsulupa usually creates both the space and opportunities for the strikers.

“Our coach has told us to expect a tough game and take nothing away from Swallows, they have a very strong squad and no matter who they bring off the bench, they just replace one good player with another. When it comes to Lefa we all know that he is a dangerous player and the kind of guy who can create a goal out of nothing, it is up to us to ensure that he is kept as quiet as possible.”

On the ball again

Tshabalala has received rave reviews for his performances since coming back from injury and has done a superb job on the left wing, as he has set up an ample number of goal-scoring opportunities for the strikers. While Chiefs have had a difficult time finding the back of the net, the number 14 does believe that he needs to continue probing and finding openings and the goals will follow

“As a midfielder I have a job to do and that is to deliver the right kind of balls to the strikers and the rest is up to them. For me the thing is to continue playing well game in and game out and creating as many chances as I can. The more opportunities you have the greater your chances of finding the back of the net are. The goals will come, we need to make sure that our build-up play remains as good as it has been. We have laid the foundations, now it is time for us to complete the construction process and win Saturday’s game and then begin to think about the quarterfinals.”