Nabi can call finally call on this Chiefs defender

Kaizer Chiefs’ Mozambican central defender Edmilson Dove is fit and available for Saturday’s Betway Premiership meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.

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The 31 year-old has been sidelined since the start of the campaign. He ruptured his Achilles tendon during Chiefs’ pre-season camp in Turkey.

Chiefs’ defensive boost

Dove’s return from injury formed part of the reason why Chiefs were prepared to let Thatayaone Ditlhokwe leave for Libyan side Al-Ittihad earlier this month.

And it seems Dove will be available for Nasreddine Nabi’s side’s stern test against seven-time reigning champions Sundowns.

“It hasn’t been an easy journey but, by the grace of God, I am running again. I want to thank the doctors and express my gratitude to the club for all the resources that were put at my disposal to help me recover as soon as possible,” Dove told the Kaizer Chiefs official website.

“I also deeply appreciate the support from my teammates and the technical staff. It has really helped me a lot.”

Nabi will hope Dove’s experience can help shore up a defence that has been leaking a worrying amount of goals this season. In Chiefs’ last match they were hammered 4-1 at home by SuperSport United.

Dove acknowledges that Sundowns are a good team. But he believes Chiefs must rather focus on themselves.

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‘They are a good side’

“Obviously, they are a good side. They have depth in their squad and have been on a good run. But as far as I am concerned, I don’t worry too much about the opposition, because at the end of the day, what matters most is what we do.

“Our purpose is to be at our best to give a good account of ourselves because that is the part we can control. Obviously, we do analysis on our opponents but we primarily focus on our own approach.”