Kaizer Chiefs leap into the season’s second round fixtures with a clash against Platinum Stars still unbeaten and looking increasingly like a championship-winning side.
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They were clinical in their last two matches, Amakhosi scoring five goals without conceding in accounting for both Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates.
The clash at their alternative home in Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium, is only their 15th match though, Stuart Baxter’s team yet to play Chippa United to complete their first round schedule.
In Stars they meet the only side that has managed to put a blemish on their impeccable season – albeit via the penalty shoot-out route, the two having drawn their Telkom Knockout quarter-final clash goalless.
Chiefs will, however, take comfort in the fact they easily overcame Stars in their league clash out in Rustenburg – the 2-0 win back in August setting them up for the superb Premiership run they are currently enjoying.
When they drew in the Cup, it was largely through the goalkeeping heroics of Siyabonga Mpontshane that Stars were victorious – the No1 foiling many a Chiefs attacks during regulation play and extra-time before starring in the shoot-out.
He will be eager to do the same tonight while hoping that his teammates are able to breach a Chiefs rearguard that has been pretty miserly this term.
Of encouragement to Stars will no doubt be the fact that their defeat to Chiefs came at a time when they were struggling to find their footing – Dikwena having had a pathetic start to the season that saw them languishing at the lowest rung of the table along with AmaZulu.
They have not really moved away from the danger zone yet but they have shown a marked improvement in recent weeks and go into the Polokwane clash on the back of a win away to Moroka Swallows that should have Alan Freese’s team in a confident frame of mind.
That they were on the losing side when they played in the Limpopo capital last week – Polokwane City beat them 2-1 – could work negatively on their psyche.
But Freese knows how to motivate his teams that is teeming with seasoned professionals in the likes of captain Vuyo Mere, midfielder Robert Ng’ambi and striker Eleazor Rodgers.
These three, as well as the likes of Solomon Mathe, Mogakolodi Ngele and Tintswalo Tshabalala will need to be at their sizzling best if Stars are to inflict upon Chiefs their maiden league loss of the season.
But on the strength of their recent matches it is hard to imagine Amakhosi dropping the ball.
Not when Siphiwe Tshabalala is in inspired form, the left-footed veteran having been influential in both the 3-0 hammering of Wits last week and the 2-0 success over the Buccaneers in Saturday’s Soweto derby.
George Lebese is also playing the football of his life while Brilliant Khuzwayo is fast establishing himself as a top goalkeeper with some match-winning stops.
While clearly pleased with his team’s great form, Baxter is realistic enough to know that defeat might happen and said after the Pirates victory that the key is not to go through the season unbeaten but rather that his team are able to lift themselves up should they stumble.
Not that there’ll be many betting on Stars becoming the first side to beat Chiefs, the fact they knocked them out of the Telkom Knockout notwithstanding.
Source : iol.co.za
Links: salovesfootball.mobi
