Ex-Chiefs, Sundowns star Dladla unsure who will win title race
Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro of Kaizer Chiefs are challenged by Ricardo Nascimento and Tiyani Mabunda of Mamelodi Sundowns during the Absa Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Advertisement
If there is one person who is really caught in the middle when it comes to the Absa Premiership title race is Josta Dladla, who in his career has won the hearts of Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs fans – the two clubs he spent most of his career at.
The league chase appears to be one of the most exciting in recent years as Amakhosi are leading the pack with 48 points with eight games to play and what makes it even more exciting is that Chiefs still have to play the defending champions who are hot on their heels, trailing Chiefs by four points.
“50 years anniversary was a huge deal for Chiefs but they have not won any major trophy in the last five seasons,” Dladla told Phakaaathi.
“The coaches have done the job, with the training and everything. At this point, what will work the most are the mentality and the hearts of the players. It is really up to the players and whether they are going to absorb the information from the coaches and turn it into good performances on the pitch,” he said.
“Both teams have got the blueprint, now they have to go out there and graft for their team and get into the history books, because if Chiefs win it, the squad will always be remembered as the team that won the league in the 50th anniversary of the club and on the other hand, if it goes to Sundowns, history will remember them as the group that won the league three times in a row,” he added.
Dladla continued: “For the Chiefs players, most of them have not won the league at all. They want to taste it and they can smell it, it is just around the corner for them. At the end of the day it is all about the attitude and the willingness of the players to say ‘I want to be like the Doctor Khumalos and the Shoes Moshoeus.’ My mentality was always wanting to be in the history books, I wanted people to talk about me even when I am gone and these players have got a chance to do that.”
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.