Chiefs puff and pass

Rumours linking AmaZulu forward Bongani Ndulula to Kaizer Chiefs were perhaps the biggest sign that the Premiership log leaders are desperate to add a finisher to their superior product.

Amakhosi's midfield and defence have carried the team to a stunning unbeaten league start but up front the wheels are simply not rolling.

Siphelele Mthembu, signed from Platinum Stars, has proved to be too sluggish for Chiefs' high-tempo game. The stage also appears too big for him and the gallery filled with too many critics.

Kingston Nkhatha, for all his industry, would get an A for effort but an E for finishing.

Katlego Mphela is stuck in the sanatorium and Bernard Parker, although he has scored in the Telkom Knockout, has only recently returned from injury.

Of the 26 goals Chiefs have scored in all competitions, 22 have come from midfield and defence. If Mamelodi Sundowns put a roadblock in the middle against them on Saturday, Chiefs could struggle to find the net.

Brian Baloyi, who kept goals for both teams, said Chiefs strikers needed to give the team another dimension come Saturday.

"It is about time that the strikers start showing up," said Baloyi.

"You need versatility in the team. The guys who played for Bafana Bafana will only come back to train with the club on Friday, meaning Parker and Mthembu have to come to the party and start scoring.

"You can expect to get 10 goals from your midfielders per season but you need way more than that from the strikers. The goals are only coming from the midfielders and the head of Mashamaite.

"Mthembu is struggling. It is clear that he was brought in as a back-up striker but this is the time for him to step up.

"If he scores in a big game like this one, then the chance opens up for him to be the No1 striker."

As much as one would admonish Chiefs for their bluntness at the tip of their attack, you have to laud their industrious midfielders.

Reneilwe Letsholonyane, using his custom style of giving opposing goalkeepers the eyes before side-footing into the net, has scored five delightful league goals and two cup goals this season.

Mandla Masango has chipped in with four in the league and two in the MTN8.

Winger George Lebese also has a quartet, including two crucial goals that turned a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 win against a desperate Usuthu in their last league game.

"In modern football, especially in clubs like Barcelona, you'll find a lot of midfielders scoring a lot more because those teams attack in numbers," Baloyi said.

"Chiefs are doing most things right. Their style of play is fluid but their strikers are not scoring."