Mark Mayambela of Chippa United surrounded by Chiefs defenders during the Absa Premiership 2017/18 game between Chippa United and Kaizer Chiefs at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. (Deryck Foster/BackpagePix)
Phakaaathi’s Jonty Mark and Khaya Ndubane give their views on who will win this one, and why.
Why Chiefs will win (Jonty Mark, Phakaaathi Editor)
Kaizer Chiefs go into Saturday’s Absa Premiership encounter at home to Chippa United bolstered by that last-gasp Teenage Hadebe strike against Free State Stars in midweek that kept Amakhosi, just about, in the Absa Premiership title race.
Chiefs trail Mamelodi Sundowns at the top by seven points, with Masandawana also having a game in hand, and Steve Komphela’s side simply have to keep winning to have any chance of catching Sundowns and Pirates before the campaign is out.
This sort of desperation is likely to drive Chiefs to victory today over a Chippa side only just finding their feet under new coach Vladislav Heric. Chippa did beat Amakhosi back in December, but it is Chiefs who have won the majority of the matches between the two sides, picking up six victories in all competitions to Chippa’s three, with one game drawn.
Komphela’s side have battled to score goals this season, with defenders bailing them out of late, Erick Mathoho doing in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals what Hadebe did against Stars. I just feel that this could be the game where Chiefs’ strikers find their feet again, however, and will back either Ryan Moon or Leonardo Castro to score in a 2-0 win.
Prediction: Kaizer Chiefs 2 Chippa United 0
Why Chippa will win (Khaya Ndubane, Online Content Manager)
Stats show that Kaizer Chiefs have won just one of the last five league matches between the teams, having won all of the first four. It was Chippa United that tasted victory when the teams last met in December last year, with Abel Mabaso scoring the winner for the Chilli Boys.
Both teams have scored 21 goals in 25 matches this season, which suggests that this is going to be yet another tightly contested affair where an odd goal will decide the outcome of the match.
This might not be going well for Chippa, but what a better way to bounce back to winning ways than to beat Chiefs in their own backyard. Plus a league ‘double’ over Chiefs will surely motivate the Chippa players to beat Chiefs today.
A win over Chiefs could also take the Chilli Boys into the top eight depending on what happens in the other games this weekend and I’m sure they will be motivated to at least be in contention for a place in the MTN8 next season.
Like I said before, this game will be very tight, but I think Chippa will edge it.
Prediction: Kaizer Chiefs 0 Chippa United 1
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