Posted in News, Team News on Nov 16, 2017.
Our Kaizer Chiefs supporters expect that we will beat Bidvest Wits to reach the final of the Telkom Knockout. Soccer, however, is not as easy as that, Philani Zulu feels: “Wits might not be doing well in the league, but this is a cup clash. That’s always different, as that’s a once off. It will be the game of the season so far.”
Amakhosi and the Clever Boys face each other in a Telkom Knockout semi-final fixture at Bidvest Stadium on Saturday, 18 November (kick-off is at 15:30).
Zulu has been performing really well since Tsepo Masilela sustained an ankle injury in the match against SuperSport United on 23 August 2017. The left-back joined Chiefs for this season, arriving from Maritzburg United, where he barely featured during the 2016/2017 season.
The well-built defender has done excellent in defence, but he has also been a force when going forward, delivering some telling crosses into the box and even nearly finding the back of the net himself on a few occasions.
“It wasn’t easy at first,” Zulu reflects on his first few months as a Glamour Boy, “especially because of my lack of game time last season. However, the support I got from coach Steve Komphela helped a lot as well as the immense passion I have for the game of football – it kept me going.”
He agrees that playing for Amakhosi is different from his previous experience with Maritzburg United. “At Chiefs, you are expected to win trophies, which is not really the case at Maritzburg.”
Zulu played in previous season in a variety of positions, from left wing, central midfield to shadow striker. “It was actually coach Komphela who changed me during the 2014/2015 season to the position of left-back,” the Pietermaritzburg-born reflects.
He has started already in ten games for the Glamour Boys, eight league and two cup matches, while he came on as a substitute in one encounter, which was the SuperSport United game, coming on for the injured Masilela.
Chiefs played earlier this season in a league fixture to a one-all draw against Wits at FNB Stadium. “Opponents always give 100% when they play us,” the 25-year-old says, “it will be tough, as they are last year’s league champions. They have a formidable side. Saturday’s match will be a final before the final.”
Amakhosi and the Clever Boys face each other in a Telkom Knockout semi-final fixture at Bidvest Stadium on Saturday, 18 November (kick-off is at 15:30).
Zulu has been performing really well since Tsepo Masilela sustained an ankle injury in the match against SuperSport United on 23 August 2017. The left-back joined Chiefs for this season, arriving from Maritzburg United, where he barely featured during the 2016/2017 season.
The well-built defender has done excellent in defence, but he has also been a force when going forward, delivering some telling crosses into the box and even nearly finding the back of the net himself on a few occasions.
“It wasn’t easy at first,” Zulu reflects on his first few months as a Glamour Boy, “especially because of my lack of game time last season. However, the support I got from coach Steve Komphela helped a lot as well as the immense passion I have for the game of football – it kept me going.”
He agrees that playing for Amakhosi is different from his previous experience with Maritzburg United. “At Chiefs, you are expected to win trophies, which is not really the case at Maritzburg.”
Zulu played in previous season in a variety of positions, from left wing, central midfield to shadow striker. “It was actually coach Komphela who changed me during the 2014/2015 season to the position of left-back,” the Pietermaritzburg-born reflects.
He has started already in ten games for the Glamour Boys, eight league and two cup matches, while he came on as a substitute in one encounter, which was the SuperSport United game, coming on for the injured Masilela.
Chiefs played earlier this season in a league fixture to a one-all draw against Wits at FNB Stadium. “Opponents always give 100% when they play us,” the 25-year-old says, “it will be tough, as they are last year’s league champions. They have a formidable side. Saturday’s match will be a final before the final.”
