The Glamour Boys will also be mindful of the last time they hosted the Team of Choice in the league – that they lost the game 2-1
Kaizer Chiefs are in search of what will be just their second league win of the season when they host Maritzburg United at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.
While Amakhosi have struggled for results this season, they will go into Saturday’s game with their tails up following their midweek excursion to Angola, where they beat Primeiro de Agosto 1-0 in a Caf Champions League first round second leg game.
Domestically, they have won just twice this season – Chiefs beat Chippa United 1-0 in the league and recorded a 2-1 victory over Maritzburg United in the MTN8 quarter-finals, in what was their first game under new head coach Gavin Hunt.
Amakhosi midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo is hoping that on Saturday his side can channel some of that same energy which saw them rallying from a goal down to beat the KwaZulu-Natal side in the cup.
At the same time, he’s cautioned against underestimating a Maritzburg team which recorded their first league win of the season last weekend by beating Bloemfontein Celtic.
“We managed to beat them in the MTN8 quarter-finals which tells us that it is possible for us to win if we work as a team and fight for each other,” Ngcobo told his club’s website.
“They did win their last game against Bloemfontein Celtic so I think they will come up with the same mindset in search for another win. We need to be prepared to face a difficult opponent.”
The game will mark a return to the FNB Stadium for coach Ernst Middendorp, who nearly won the league title with Amakhosi last season but is now in charge of Maritzburg’s fortunes.
Under the German’s guidance, the Team of Choice have claimed five points from their past four games.
“It will be fun to play against Ernst Middendorp our former coach,” the Pietermaritzburg-born Ngcobo commented. “We will be ready for him and his team.
“We now need to make sure that we fight against Maritzburg,” the young midfielder added. “It won’t be easy though. We need to prepare ourselves and be ready to fight.”
Saturday’s match kicks off at 5 pm.
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