By Michael Madyira
Struggling Kaizer Chiefs are preparing for a Premier Soccer League fixture that could potentially compound their problems when they host Royal AM in Polokwane on Sunday.
In the two seasons they have played PSL football, Royal AM have established themselves as Chiefs’ bogey side, beating the Soweto giants on all three occasions the two sides have met.
Now, with morale low in the Amakhosi camp following a three-match losing run, it appears not to be a good time to face Thwihli Thwahla.
“We don’t want to lose games at all and we don’t want to create that chain of losing because it kills our morale,” coach Arthur Zwane told the media.
“We will try to stop it; we have to keep on helping the players not to lose focus. Not that they’re not doing well. We have been unfortunate not to score goals.”
Since PSL action returned after the 2022 Fifa World Cup break, Zwane has invested more trust in young players who came through their development structures.
They include Mduduzi Shabalala, Samkelo Zwane and Wandile Duba. But their contribution has been limited.
That, together with the pressure of losing matches, has made Zwane change his mind, and he turned to senior players he was snubbing earlier in the season.
But experienced players like centre-back Erick Mathoho, Phathutshedzo Nange and Alexander Cole are now battling fitness issues.
“Erick is definitely still part and parcel of us. Even last week we were preparing him for the game [against Sundowns], or two weeks ago if I’m not mistaken; he couldn’t make it because of a toe injury,” said Zwane.
“We thought he would be fully recovered last week. He started jogging again and we thought he was ready, but it troubled him.
“We had to rest him and until now he hasn’t recovered fully.”
Mathoho’s absence comes as Amakhosi are enduring serious shortcomings in central defence, where Edmilson Dove has been error-prone in recent games.
Zwane has also mentioned he intended to use Nange and Cole, who could both fill in the central midfield void left by Njabulo Blom.
The troubled Soweto giants are also without another experienced player, Khama Billiat.
“Unfortunately we’re not going to see Khama anytime soon,” Zwane said.
While Royal AM are Chiefs’ hoodoo side, Amakhosi could draw hope from the fact that the KwaZulu-Natal side has been struggling lately.
Pictured above: Kaizer Chiefs taking on Royal AM
Image source: Kaizer Chiefs
