This weekend, Kaizer Chiefs will enter the second leg of the MTN8 semi-finals as the only team with a disadvantage.
Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, and AmaZulu will begin with clean sheets, but Kaizer Chiefs conceded a goal in their 1-1 draw at home in the first leg.
Brandon Truter, the coach of AmaZulu at the time, stated that the away-goal rule provided his club an advantage heading into the second-leg match. Since Truter has been terminated, he will not be able to collect his first-leg bonus.
After the first leg in early October, Truter walked away from FNB Stadium with a massive grin on his face. “We wanted to win today’s game. “We came out here to achieve a favorable outcome and take an advantage back with us,” Truter explained.
To rub salt in their wounds, Chiefs will return to Moses Mabhida Stadium, where Chippa United crushed them a week ago. Last week’s Chiefs performance was one of their poorest this season. AmaZulu, on the other hand, has produced several outstanding performances at the Durban venue.
On Sunday, it is likely that the “sold out” signs will go up early in KwaZulu-Natal, given both teams have enormous fan bases there.
Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana’s injury is the worst thing that has occurred to the Chiefs in recent memory. He has emerged as a true hero for Amakhosi, rescuing the team with penalty kicks on multiple occasions when they were unable to score from open play.
The new coach of AmaZulu, the Frenchman Romain Folz, appears to be bringing out the best in the team. In his first game as coach for AmaZulu, he led the squad to a 1-1 tie at Orlando Stadium. Siphesihle Maduna, a midfielder for AmaZulu, believes that Folz’s tactics are paying off.
Maduna stated, “What I can tell is that we will continue to keep AmaZulu supporters happy.”
His strategies are excellent, and we will annihilate league opponents with him this season.
The Pirates and Sundowns played to a scoreless draw in the first leg, making Saturday’s match at Peter Mokaba Stadium winner-take-all. The winner advances to the final round. Sundowns, fresh off their Caf Champions League campaign, barely extended themselves against La Passe in the past two weeks. Sundowns were also spared travel expenses when the visitors from Seychelles decided to play their match in South Africa.
Sundowns defeated a squad comprised of chefs, carpenters, and firefighters, rather than full-time footballers, by an aggregate score of 15-1. With the exception of a midweek home game against Marumo Gallants, Sundowns will be well prepared for the Pirates.
Tuesday, Pirates exhibited one of the best performances of the season to defeat Golden Arrows 2-0. Monnapule Saleng scored both goals following a successful combination with Kermit Erasmus.
This performance bodes well for their upcoming encounter against Sundowns, who have not been convincing consistently this season. After nine Premiership matches, Sundowns had already experienced two defeats and then benefited from two late goals to avoid defeat.
Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena stated that the club would not leave the first leg with a scoreless tie.
“At Sundowns, it’s not even only about the outcome, as anyone who plays the first leg against Orlando Pirates on the road and obtains a 0-0 scoreline will still be disappointed. It demonstrates how ambitious that club is,” Mokwena stated.
Jose Riveiro, the coach of the Pirates, has devised a new 4-2-3-1 formation featuring a back four and two wide attackers. He will employ this formation against Sundowns on Saturday.
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