Cardoso hopes Chiefs can slay Arrows and keep the heat on Sundowns

Kaizer Chiefs defender Daniel Cardoso is targeting second place in the DStv Premiership heading into the international break, as Amakhosi go up against Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium this evening.

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Amakhosi will go second with a victory over Arrows, though the matter of staying there is also out of their hands, as Royal AM would leapfrog them again with a victory at Stellenbosch tomorrow.

“We are on a good run which has helped us gain confidence. There is no option for us to drop points. The guys are aware of the pressure on us, but as a big team, we have to deal with it,” Cardoso told the Chiefs website.

“We are positive that we can continue our good run. If we can end off in second spot ahead of the Fifa recess it puts us in a strong position and with games in hand. There will be plenty for us to play for.”

Exactly what Chiefs have to play for could also be decided off the pitch, as they still await a decision on the two Premiership games in December, against Cape Town City and Arrows, that they refused to play in, after a Covid-19 outbreak at the Amakhosi Village.

The Premier Soccer League have charged Chiefs, and they could be forced to forfeit the six points, or in a best case scenario for them, be allowed to replay the matches. The matter is in the hands of a South African Football Association arbitrator, with a decision expected on Tuesday. 

If the decision goes against Chiefs, then even if they were to beat Arrows, they would sit 13 points behind leaders Sundowns, with just eight games left to play in the season.

If Chiefs are allowed to replay those matches, a win over Arrows today will still leave them 13 points behind Sundowns, but with ten games to play in the season, and three games in hand on the Tshwane giants, a far more plausible scenario in terms of mounting a surprise title challenge.

Either way, Cardoso expects a tricky game against the KZN side.

“They have young, hungry players who want to prove a point against Chiefs. It has been like that over the years when we have faced them. As they go longer in a game, they get more composed. We cannot allow them to gain confidence,” he added.

Arrows are currently 11^th in the table, and have drawn too many matches this season (ten), while winning just one of their last seven league games. Lehlohonolo Seema’s side look highly unlikely to match the fourth-placed finish they managed under Mandla Ncikazi last season, though an upturn in form could still see them make a run at the top eight.