Middendorp awaits champs

Kaizer Chiefs will be out to dispel the theory that they have become an easy team to plan for in their Absa Premiership fixture against Maritzburg United at FNB Stadium tomorrow night.

Chiefs have gone three games without a win in all competitions. A 3-1 defeat to SuperSport United in Atteridgeville has raised questions about the defending champions becoming predictable.

Maritzburg coach Ernst Middendorp has some idea of the pressures Chiefs counterpart Stuart Baxter will be under to continue from last season's league and cup success.

Middendorp, Chiefs' coach in 2005 and 2006, believes it is possible to plan for Amakhosi's game plan. But the former Arminia Bielefeld coach said the Glamour Boys' quality in match-winners still makes them very dangerous.

"Chiefs are always a team that everybody knows how they play. It's the same in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich.

"But even then, Bayern have the quality of Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and so on. And it's the same with Chiefs. Specifically now that Knowledge Musona scored for his national team.

"He is an outstanding individual performer. Siphiwe Tshabalala can decide a game on his own. You know how Chiefs build up and where you might find an open door, perhaps when the full-backs overlap. But the individual performances and abilities are what you cannot control."

A compact Maritzburg held Amakhosi to 1-1 draws home and away last season. The KZN side have a strong PSL record against the Soweto giants, winning four to Amakhosi's five, with five draws.

Baxter said he would prefer a convincing performance from his team to a scrappy win.

"If we get a 1-0 win and are totally lucky having been outplayed, I'm not sure that is better than playing really well and drawing. I think playing really well is the key for the season going forward.

"If we play useless and win, the fans may be happy but I'll have sleepless nights because you're waiting for the next landmine."

Maritzburg midfielders Delron Buckley and Nhlanhla Vilakazi and strikers Yakubu Mohammed and Ashley Hartog are injured.

Middendorp said Mohammed Awal returned from international duty late on Tuesday night, and reports of the Ghanaian defender going Awol were exaggerated.

Baxter will have been pleased at Musona's cracking goal for Zimbabwe in their 2-1 friendly win against Bafana on Tuesday. The striker has yet to score for Amakhosi on his return from the Bundesliga, and if he can find his form for club too, Chiefs will find wins easier to come by.

Bidvest Wits will be confident of a home win against struggling Ajax Cape Town in tonight's game at Bidvest Stadium.

Also tomorrow, Pretoria University will be out for a first win of the season against Bloemfontein Celtic at Tuks Stadium, Free State Stars a second win against Platinum Stars at Goble Park, and Amazulu are seeking their third victory hosting Moroka Swallows at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Tonight: Bidvest Wits vs Ajax Cape Town (Bidvest Stadium, 8pm).

Tomorrow: University of Pretoria vs Bloemfontein Celtic (Tuks Stadium, 3pm), Free State Stars vs Platinum Stars (Goble Park, 3pm), AmaZulu vs Moroka Swallows (Moses Mabhida Stadium, 6pm), Kaizer Chiefs vs Maritzburg United (FNB Stadium, 8.15pm).