Another PSL game for Kaizer Chiefs, another time to cross fingers for the rest of the Absa Premiership that Amakhosi will stumble.
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Another PSL game for Kaizer Chiefs, another time to cross fingers for the rest of the Absa Premiership that Amakhosi will stumble.
What’s new as Stuart Baxter’s team continue to set the pace atop the 16-team league table with an unbeaten run that is fast looking like it won’t be broken?
The Englishman spoke last week about how he is aware of the hope nurtured by everybody else in the country’s elite league that his team will lose.
“The most popular result in the country would be the first time that we lose because you guys (the media) will write about it and the rest of the teams in the league will be dead pleased,” Baxter said in Polokwane.
In recent matches, though, Chiefs’ best has not really been good enough, Amakhosi playing to successive league draws against Mamelodi Sundowns and Polokwane City.
That they maintained their big lead – they’re 11 points ahead of second-placed Ajax Cape Town – had more to do with the failure of the teams below them to win when Amakhosi have dropped points.
“Obviously, it would have been better to win those matches, but we didn’t lose and so in that respect, the players are plugging away and they are doing their best,” added Baxter.
Yet, that failure to win matches, especially when they have created enough chances to have grabbed maximum points, would have been spotted by Gavin Hunt, whose resurgent Bidvest Wits side host the leaders tonight (7.30).
And being as big on planning as he is, the three-time title-winning coach is sure to have the Clever Boys ready to take advantage of any slacking off by Chiefs.
Wits are enjoying a turnaround in fortunes following a recent lean spell that saw them go three league matches without a win. They have grabbed maximum points from their last two games, courtesy of victories over Free State Stars and Black Aces, and would love nothing more than to be the team to inflict Amakhosi’s maiden loss of the season.
But Chiefs are a much stronger side than Ea Lla Koto and Amazayoni, and to succeed where 12 other teams have failed, Wits will need to produce something special.
Hunt would do no wrong to have Siyabonga Nhlapo start tonight, the defender no doubt in high spirits following his good performance for Bafana Bafana against the Ivory Coast at the weekend.
Wits are, however, without regular centre-back Buhle Mkhwa-nazi, who is suspended.
Today’s match marks the beginning of a frenetic schedule ahead of the Christmas break, Chiefs having to take on Orlando Pirates on Saturday, Platinum Stars on Tuesday, Chippa United on the 13th and then Free State Stars three days later, before bringing the year to an end against Aces at FNB Stadium.
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, whose team take on Telkom Knockout champions SuperSport United tonight, said recently that this busy December programme would present the rest of the Premiership with an opportunity to prevent Chiefs from flying further away, and they will no doubt all be relying on Wits to begin that process.
But they, too, will have to stop dropping points as most of the teams in the top half of the table did in the past week when Amakhosi stuttered.
Second-placed Ajax will have to win at Moroka Swallows and Chippa, just below them, must ensure that Aces leave Port Elizabeth empty-handed.
Polokwane City host Platinum Stars and the other Stars are at home to Bloemfontein Celtic in the Free State derby. - The Star
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