They did not have the explosive start to their DStv Premiership season they desired against the Rockets of TS Galaxy on the road, but Amakhosi will be looking for their first win of the season when they host Baroka at FNB Stadium on Wednesday.

With a short turnaround time after their weekend goalless draw against Galaxy, Chiefs now focus their attention on their next league game and the familiarity of FNB Stadium, when they play Baroka at 17h00 tomorrow in their first home league game of the season.

Chiefs had the bulk of possession and dominance against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday but were denied by the deep defending and physicality of the home team as they had to settle for a point in their league opener.

They will expect a similarly tough test against Baroka, who confidently opened up their 2021-22 league campaign with a 2-0 home win over Marumo Gallants.

Chiefs will be looking to dominate their opposition playing at home and to netting their first goals and first win of the campaign against Bakgakga.

This is the 11^th league clash between the teams since they first met in the 2016-17 season. Their previous 10 clashes have seen each team win two games, with six draws between the two in their tightly contested short history.

Baroka were not in the top-flight during Stuart Baxter’s first spell at the helm of Chiefs from 2012 to 2015. Similarly, Baxter had also not previously faced TS Galaxy in his Chiefs coaching career.

In the five games against Baroka with Chiefs as hosts, Amakhosi have won just one game during the 2019-20 season, while Baroka have won two, with two others ending in a draw.

The last three league games between the teams have all ended 1-1, both encounters last season and crucially the 1-1 draw on the final day of the 2019-20 season that denied Chiefs the title.

Chiefs, though, are undefeated in their last four league games against Baroka (W1 D3), having scored at least one goal in each of those games. Chiefs’ last defeat in the league against Baroka was a 1-0 home loss against them in April 2019.

When beginning a home league campaign since 1996-97 Chiefs have managed to win 13 of their first league games at home in a season, losing five and drawing seven games.

Of the draws, just two in 2005-06 against Ajax and 2009-10 against Santos ended 0-0. Chiefs’ biggest win in their first home league game in the PSL era was a 4-0 triumph over Free State Stars in 2015-16, while they beat Amazulu 4-1 in a high-scoring game in 1999-00.

That win at the Johannesburg Stadium at the start of the 1999-00 season against Usuthu is the only time four different Chiefs players have scored in their opening home league game since 1996-97, with Jabu Pule, Siyabonga Nomvethe, Thabo Mooki and Frank Makua all finding their way onto the scoresheet.

When Chiefs defeated Free State Stars 4-0 in 2015-16, three Chiefs players scored, and they benefited from an own goal.

For Chiefs they have always opened up a league season with Baxter as coach on the road and have never lost when playing their first home league game. In 2012-13 it was a 2-1 win over Mamelodi Sundowns, while in 2013-14 they drew 1-1 with Moroka Swallows and in 2014-15 it was a 1-0 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic.

Baxter will be hoping that his team can replicate the results from 2012-13 and 2014-15 and get their first three points of the new campaign.