Revised schedule will suit Chiefs

Two potentially massive games in the Absa Premiership title race have been rescheduled by the Premier Soccer League, with both involving the team that are top of the table right now – Kaizer Chiefs.

READ: Some Chiefs supporters still want Lebese back

Ironically, this rearrangement has nothing to do with Amakhosi, but is down to the fact that the two teams they are playing – fellow title challengers Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns – will continue their participation in the Caf Confederation Cup and Caf Champions League group stages respectively in 2020.

Wits were meant to play Chiefs on January 21, but with Gavin Hunt’s men set to face Horoya in Guinea on January 26 in a potentially decisive Group C encounter, the PSL have moved that game to March 18 at FNB Stadium.

Sundowns, meanwhile, were initially pencilled in to play Chiefs on February 1, but with a Champions League Group C home game against Wydad Casablanca scheduled for January 31, a day earlier, that is clearly now an impossibility and the two giants will now meet on April 15 at FNB Stadium.

Chiefs currently have a massive advantage in the title race, with a 10-point lead over Sundowns, though Masandawana do have one game in hand on Ernst Middendorp’s men. Wits, meanwhile, went into last night’s game against Highlands Park trailing Chiefs by 18 points, but with five games in hand on the leaders and four in hand on Sundowns.

Chiefs’ 5-3 win over Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday was a club record eighth Premiership victory in a row, and they can make it nine before the year is out if they can beat Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium on December 22.

“We want to keep the momentum. We want to keep working hard in each and every game. The team is well aware of this. We have already started with preparations for the next match. The last match of the year is the most important agenda point for us,” said Middendorp, according to Chiefs’ official website.

It remains to be seen, meanwhile, if Chiefs decide to move into the transfer market and beef up their squad in the January transfer window. It could be that Amakhosi decide to stick with a squad that has done a fantastic job so far – no team in the Premier Soccer League era has ever managed to get 34 points from their opening 13 league games.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.