Posted in News, Team News on Jan 20, 2020.
Coach Middendorp says his side was faced with dealing with numerous elements during preparation and this resulted in collecting a point against Black Leopards in Thohoyandou.
“We had to prepare well for this trip,” Middendorp confirms. “We knew the travel and heat conditions were going to be a factor. The pitch also restricted us in terms of our plans.”
Kaizer Chiefs played to a 1-1 draw against a relegation haunted Black Leopards in sweltering heat conditions at Thohoyandou Stadium. The officiating team had to commission water breaks during the course of the match to ensure players were hydrated.
“Credit to Leopards,” says Middendorp. “They closed us down very well. Because the pitch was not great, we had to use alternative means of breaking them down. We used a set piece to score. I thought we could have done better with closing them down before they won the free kick that resulted in their goal.”
Despite the draw, Chiefs remain on top of the Absa Premiership log. “It’s that time of the season where you see every team fighting,” says Middendorp. “We are still going to see many of these sort of games. There’s a scrape for points now. Teams are looking at chasing the league title, some fighting to avoid relegation. So, it’s not going to be easy for all the teams.
“We will take this point as a minimum from the match. We have to recover fast and get ready for our next match against Golden Arrows. It’s going to be another tough match, but at least the pitch should be conducive to play our style of football.”
“We had to prepare well for this trip,” Middendorp confirms. “We knew the travel and heat conditions were going to be a factor. The pitch also restricted us in terms of our plans.”
Kaizer Chiefs played to a 1-1 draw against a relegation haunted Black Leopards in sweltering heat conditions at Thohoyandou Stadium. The officiating team had to commission water breaks during the course of the match to ensure players were hydrated.
“Credit to Leopards,” says Middendorp. “They closed us down very well. Because the pitch was not great, we had to use alternative means of breaking them down. We used a set piece to score. I thought we could have done better with closing them down before they won the free kick that resulted in their goal.”
Despite the draw, Chiefs remain on top of the Absa Premiership log. “It’s that time of the season where you see every team fighting,” says Middendorp. “We are still going to see many of these sort of games. There’s a scrape for points now. Teams are looking at chasing the league title, some fighting to avoid relegation. So, it’s not going to be easy for all the teams.
“We will take this point as a minimum from the match. We have to recover fast and get ready for our next match against Golden Arrows. It’s going to be another tough match, but at least the pitch should be conducive to play our style of football.”
