Amakhosi will play their first home league game of the 2022-23 DStv Premiership season on Tuesday evening against Maritzburg United, with kick off for the game at 19h30.

As they welcome their visitors from KwaZulu-Natal on National Women’s Day to the FNB Stadium, they will be looking to pick up their first three points of the new campaign.

Promising beginning

Chiefs began the 2022-23 season – their 27^th in the PSL and 53^rd overall since the formation of the club in 1970 – with an unfortunate narrow loss to Royal AM at the Chatsworth Stadium as Amakhosi went down 1-0.

Chiefs will be looking to immediately bounce back and take the many positives from their first outing of the campaign, which saw some outstanding midfield play as well as a confident performance by Bruce Bvuma in goal. The Chiefs shot stopper made some telling saves and showed his class, while there were notable performances from new boy Yusuf Maart, as well as Keagan Dolly. Maritzburg began their league season with a 1-1 draw against Sekhukhune this weekend.

Maritzburg next up

This will be the 33^rd league meeting since the teams first met way back in the 2005-06 season. Games between the sides over the past 17 years have been feisty affairs with both teams generally showing good attacking intent. Chiefs have managed to defeat Maritzburg 15 times over their previous 32 league games, with Maritzburg winning 7 games and a further 10 ending in draws. When Chiefs have hosted Maritzburg they have also managed to win 10 of their 16 games against them on home soil, having lost just four times and drawn twice.

Amakhosi, despite their historical dominance over Maritzburg, will know just what tricky opponents they can be. Heading into last season Chiefs were on a four- game winless run in the league against the Team of Choice (D2 L2).

That all changed in 2021-22 as Chiefs defeated Maritzburg home and away last season, first Chiefs ended a four-year run without an away win against them by winning the first league clash 1-0 on the 21^st November 2021. The game’s only goal came courtesy of a Bernard Parker goal just past the hour mark. Chiefs then completed a league double over them by winning the return game on the 21^st December 2-0 at home. This time around Khama Billiat and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo made their way onto the score-sheet. Chiefs are now targeting a third successive league win over Maritzburg.

Women’s Day charm

Since the introduction of National Women’s Day back in 1994 Chiefs have lived a charmed life on this national holiday. Chiefs have played five league games on the 9^th August over the past 27 years and their record reads W2 D3. Amakhosi first played a league game on National Women’s Day in 1995, which ended 0-0 against Umtata Bush Bucks away from home. They also drew in 2005-06 and 2015-16 with Free State Stars and Chippa United. They managed to win on National Women’s Day, with 1-0 victories over Bloemfontein Celtic in 2000-01 and Free State Stars in 2014-15. Chiefs’ first ever league game in the first season of the Premier Soccer League came a day after National Women’s Day on the 10^th August 1996, a 1-0 win away against Jomo Cosmos.

Amakhosi also started their successful run to the 2008-09 MTN 8 Title with a 4-0 win over Santos on the 9^th August 2008.