Chiefs ready to strike against low-flying Chippa United

Kaizer Chiefs’ enterprising season now enters a pivotal phase as they prepare to face Chippa United in the Betway Premiership at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium this Wednesday, aiming to build on their recent form and maintain momentum in the league.

Amakhosi have positioned themselves as contenders for the title, though the picture remains somewhat unclear, with both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates threatening to pull ahead at the top of the table.

The Glamour Boys will take on the Chilli Boys (kick-off 7.30pm), who are currently struggling at the bottom of the Premiership with just one win from 14 matches. Chippa have already gone through five coaching changes this season and appear to be paying the price for the instability that they managed to avoid in previous campaigns.

Chiefs have the chance to capitalise on their opponents’ struggles. Fresh from a fortunate 1-1 draw in their CAF Confederations Cup clash against Egyptian giants Zamalek, they head into this fixture with a boost of confidence.

While the season has brought plenty of positives for the Glamour Boys, their ongoing difficulties in front of goal remain a key concern. They have scored only 13 goals in 11 matches — the lowest among the top six teams — highlighting the area that requires the most attention.

Acknowledging the challenge, Kaze pointed out that attacking positions are never easy to master, which is why the world’s best players usually occupy those roles. He also stressed that the squad is aware of these challenges and is actively working to improve in that area.

“I would say that the reason behind all the Ballon d’Ors is because those are very difficult positions to play in.

“I will not blame any player because they try their best, but we need to help them to have a better structure around the strikers. In the match against Zamalek, we tried crosses and also through the defense with short passes; we tried everything.

“We just need to level up our concentration in front of goals as we go, and as we have managed to get it right in defence, we will also get it right in attack.”

Chiefs will also be monitoring the fitness of attacker Gaston Sirino, who suffered an injury in the Zamalek clash over the weekend after returning from suspension. 

The former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder is one of the key players that Kaze and co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef are counting on to address their goal-scoring issues, especially given the options available in their striking department and the role he could play in helping the team penetrate defences more effectively.

Chiefs approach this fixture with a strong record against the Chilli Boys. Despite a challenging previous season, they collected four points from their encounters and also secured a 3-0 victory in the Nedbank Cup round of 16. 

With Chippa still seeking their first win since a 2-1 triumph over Orbit College in September, confidence is low for the home side, placing them early on as relegation contenders.

Chiefs, meanwhile, are aiming to end the year on a high ahead of a subsequent clash with TS Galaxy away from home, giving them the ideal opportunity to succeed if they execute their plans effectively.