Why October-November could be make or break for Chiefs

23 September 2014 - 16:18 By Tiisetso Malepa
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Kaizer Chiefs players during the MTN 8 Final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on September 20, 2014 in Durban, South Africa.
Kaizer Chiefs players during the MTN 8 Final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on September 20, 2014 in Durban, South Africa.
Image: Gallo Images

Kaizer Chiefs are faced with a hectic run of fixtures over the course of October-November in both the league and cup competitions.

The coming period stands to break or make their early season form and to some extent, their season. It has become standard for the Glamour Boys to lift more than one trophy in a single season - that's how high the bar has been set over the years.

The new MTN8 Champions have intimidating Cup and league fixtures approaching.

They will travel to Cape Town to face Ajax Cape Town, play back-to-back Soweto derbies against Moroka Swallows (home) and Orlando Pirates (away), AmaZulu (away), Mamelodi Sundowns (home) and Polokwane City (away) from October 4 to November 25.

They will kickoff their hectic schedule with a tricky but crucial home fixture against Maritzburg United this weekend in a bid to sustain their unblemished record so far in the title chase. 

The United clash will be followed by a two-week international break for the Afcon qualifiers. At least three Chiefs players are expected to be named in Shakes Mashaba’s squad on Thursday to face Congo Brazzaville in back-to-back qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana will travel to Point Noire to take on Congo on Saturday, October 11, before returning to South Africa to play them again four days later in Polokwane and Stuart Baxter will be hoping none of the Chiefs contingent return from the national team carrying injuries.

Influential captain and keeper Itumeleng Khune is already out until at least December after sustaining an injury in the national team camp ahead of the Sudan and Nigeria Afcon qualifiers. A couple more injuries to key players will be catastrophic on a squad viewed by many pundits as thin Chiefs seemingly lack the necessary depth to challenge for multiple honours.

Amakhosi have been in blistering early-season form, having collected 18 points from six matches. But they will be out to avoid a situation much like last season, when  Champions League and Cup interruptions wreaked havoc on their thin squad and derailed their domestic form as they went on to endure a rare trophy-less campaign.

During this period of Oct-Nov, the log leaders will be faced with two stern tests. They play host to a tricky Maritzburg United in the TKO next month and need to stretch their four-point lead at the summit of the Absa Premiership against tricky opponents.

Ajax are always tough to beat in Cape Town while one of the Soweto derbies, if not both, could go either way. A battle with bottom of the table AmaZulu will follow before another mega tie with stern rivals Sundowns.

Should Stuart Baxter’s men stand the test of time, they could find themselves with an early season Cup double by adding the TKO silverware while also putting their one hand onto the PSL title with a good run in the next upcoming four crucial league outings.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now