Tough fixtures await Chiefs at the end of Fifa break

There probably will be little rest for Kaizer Chiefs coach, Gavin Hunt as he would be thinking about the tough fixtures that await his team after the Fifa break.

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Amakhosi went into the break in high spirits after a hard fought victory in the Soweto derby where they managed a 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium on Sunday.

Amakhosi only have three players out on national duty with Happy Mashiane and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo called up for the national under 23 camp in Durban, and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune with Bafana Bafana.

This should be good for Hunt because it gives him some time to work on his team, something he has had little time for as the games have been coming thick and fast this season.

Teams hardly have time for recovery sessions, let alone full training sessions and adding the traveling that the Naturena side has to do often for their Caf Champions League campaign, the schedule gets even tougher for them, Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns who are also still active in continental competitions.

Hunt mentioned that the break came at the right time for him and that he will mostly work with players who have just recovered from injury – Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro – to fast track them and get them ready for action when they resume next month.

Amakhosi have a rather interesting mix of games in their next five fixtures which start with a home leg of their Champions League match against Morocco’s Wydad Athletic on 3 April.

Three days after that, on 6 April, they host Stellenbosch FC in a DStv Premiership fixture. Stellies are a tough customer and look to have found their rhythm of late, and their unpredictability and speed wears out opponents.

After that, the Naturena-based side fly out to Sudan where they will play Horoya Athletic Club in their last group stages match on 10 April.

On their return, they will take a short trip to Polokwane where they play Baroka FC in a domestic league game on 13 April, then their five game circle ends with a home game against Cape Town City.

These fixtures all have the possibility of determining how far Amakhosi can go on both fronts. They are currently third in the four-team Group C of the Champions League, equal on five points with Horoya and five points being leaders Wydad which makes their home game a must win.

On the home front, Chiefs are ninth on the DStv Premiership standings with 10 games left, and need to start picking up full points regularly to avoid the embarrassment of finishing outside the top eight.

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