Khama Billiat of Kaizer Chiefs and Aubrey Modiba of Supersport United during the Absa Premiership match between SuperSport United and Kaizer Chiefs at Mbombela Stadium on March 15, 2019 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)
Chiefs are the only team in the Absa Premiership with a one-hundred percent winning record. Ernst Middendorp’s men secured a 3-2 victory over Highlands Park at Makhulong Stadium on the opening day of the new season before overcoming Black Leopards 1-0 a week later at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
As a result, the Glamour Boys occupy second position with six points – the same number of points as Bidvest Wits – having played a game less.
But it won’t be easy for the Amakhosi to make it three from three as they come up against a Supersport side that have cruised to 3-0 victories over title challengers Orlando Pirates and Wits (MTN8 quarter-final) in their last two games.
Bradley Grobler and new signing Thamsanqa Gabuza have formed a lethal combination up front and are both in red-hot form as the former has three from two and the latter two from two.
Sipho Mbule has been the find of the season so far, picking up the man-of-the-match award in the success over Wits and received praise from Grobler after the game. Mbule’s talent has never been in doubt but it was his ‘lack of focus’, according to coach Kaitano Tembo, saw him making just four appearances last season.
“Special mention to Sipho Mbule,” said Grobler.
“He’s coming [in] at a difficult time. He’s been outstanding at training. I think he showed tonight why he’s in the team. Well done to him.”
Meanwhile, Chiefs will be delighted with the form of centre-back Erick ‘Tower’ Mathoho, who has scored two crucial goals in two appearances, and been rewarded with a call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad for the first time in two years.
It remains unclear whether Khama Billiat will make his long-awaited return to action against Matsatsantsa as he is still recovering from a knock sustained in the Africa Cup of Nations with Zimbabwe, while there is a cloud of uncertainty over his future at Naturena as he has been heavily linked with a return to Mamelodi Sundowns.
Either way, Middendorp is likely to persist with a front three of impressive new signing Samir Nurkovic, Lazarous Kambole and Lebohang Manyama, with Leonardo Castro an outsider to start.
Bernard Parker, who is set to line up behind the front three, says Chiefs have set themselves the goal of claiming maximum points from their next two matches against Supersport and Cape Town City on Tuesday evening so as to ensure they sit top of the log going in to the international break.
“We must win our next two games against SuperSport and Cape Town City so that we are able to be at the summit of the log before the break,” said Parker.
The sides met five times last season. Supersport came out on top in the two-legged MTN8 semi-final, whilst Chiefs won the teams’ Telkom Knockout knockout quarter-final. Amakhosi won the opening league encounter, before the sides played to a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.
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