The Kaizer Chiefs Reserves have been hard at work this week, preparing for their first DStv Diski Shield match against SuperSport United this weekend. The pre-season competition will aid teams in their preparation for the 2022/23 season.
The DStv Diski Shield tournament returns after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, pitting eight teams that finished in the Top 8 bracket of the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) in the 2021/22 season against each other for the renowned title.
Amakhosi, who won the inaugural Diski Shield tournament back in 2018, will play Matsatsantsa’s Reserve side, who came second in the DDC league last season, after finishing sixth on the log.
The game will take held at Wits Stadium on Sunday.
The Chiefs Reserve team will be full of confidence after helping to win the Engen Knockout Challenge trophy last week at Marks Park. In the Engen Challenge, Amakhosi won all six matches and barely conceded two goals.
“Winning the Engen tournament was not only good for preparation purposes but also felt great for the guys to lift a trophy after some time,” commented Reserve Team Coach, Vela Khumalo. “We need to work hard and keep producing quality players, but it’s also important to win our matches, so we instil that winning mentality while they are still young.”
Coach Khumalo also informed that, with the exception of one player, Thulani Mabaso, the most of the team members are available after competing in last weekend’s tournament.
“We will, unfortunately, miss Thulani Mabaso this weekend after playing all the six games in the Engen Tournament in three days last weekend,” confirms Khumalo. “We will however have to ensure other players are ready to plug the gap in the team so we compete fiercely.”
The Diski Shield competition winner’s reward will be donated to a local community’s football development projects.
“We need to win the game on Sunday because we would like to reach next weekend’s semi-finals so we continue to have competitive matches before the start of the new DDC season,” concludes Khumalo.
Amakhosi won the first DStv Diski Shield in 2018 with a come-from-behind victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the final at Tembisa’s Makhulong Stadium.
The game between Amakhosi Reserves and SuperSport Reserves will take place on Sunday at 11:30 at Wits Stadium in Braamfontein and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Channel 202 on DStv.