THERE can be no slip-ups for either Kaizer Chiefs or Free State Stars in tonight’s premiership clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, with both sides desperately needing maximum points.
For Chiefs, anything other than three points by 9.30pm means their title hopes all but go up in smoke, while Stars will be tangled even further in the relegation quagmire should they suffer defeat.
It’s a clash that had a lot less at stake when it was postponed at the start of this month due to Amakhosi’s Caf commitments, but has now become a must-win for both sides.
The Glamour Boys, who trail log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by five points and have a game in hand, are Premier League defending champions.
Their previous league game, a goalless draw away to Bidvest Wits last week, hurt their title chase and now all but forces them to win all three of their remaining games to topple Sundowns.
“We cannot take any chances at this stage,” said Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande.
“As a team we promised each other to fight to win all our remaining games. We are all aware of the task that lies ahead of us and we are prepared to do the job. Personally I am ready and I think the team as a whole is ready.
“There are two factors . It’s our individual performances and our contribution as a team. We are all working hard and pushing one another to do well, and against Free State Stars it will not be different. It’s especially important to win at home.”
Chiefs have fresh legs for this encounter after coach Stuart Baxter and as many as 12 key players skipped the trip to Abidjan, Ivory Coast for the club’s Caf Confederations Cup playoff match on Sunday against Asec Mimosa, which they lost 3-1 on aggregate.
Midfield anchorman Katsande was one of the important regulars who stayed behind with the coach.
He said yesterday he was wary of a side placed second from bottom of the premiership standings.
“They are very dangerous, but we are both desperate for three points. We must approach them with caution,” said Katsande.
Stars have been relegated before in 2006, but spent just one season in the National First Division, staging an immediate comeback.
The Bethlehem-based team have managed to hold on to their top-flight status for six consecutive seasons since, but will look back to sacking coach Steve Komphela in December, having barely reached the halfway mark, as a turning point in their disastrous campaign.
Chiefs skate on thin ice
For Chiefs, anything other than three points by 9.30pm means their title hopes all but go up in smoke, while Stars will be tangled even further in the relegation quagmire should they suffer defeat.
It’s a clash that had a lot less at stake when it was postponed at the start of this month due to Amakhosi’s Caf commitments, but has now become a must-win for both sides.
The Glamour Boys, who trail log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by five points and have a game in hand, are Premier League defending champions.
Their previous league game, a goalless draw away to Bidvest Wits last week, hurt their title chase and now all but forces them to win all three of their remaining games to topple Sundowns.
“We cannot take any chances at this stage,” said Chiefs midfielder Willard Katsande.
“As a team we promised each other to fight to win all our remaining games. We are all aware of the task that lies ahead of us and we are prepared to do the job. Personally I am ready and I think the team as a whole is ready.
“There are two factors . It’s our individual performances and our contribution as a team. We are all working hard and pushing one another to do well, and against Free State Stars it will not be different. It’s especially important to win at home.”
Chiefs have fresh legs for this encounter after coach Stuart Baxter and as many as 12 key players skipped the trip to Abidjan, Ivory Coast for the club’s Caf Confederations Cup playoff match on Sunday against Asec Mimosa, which they lost 3-1 on aggregate.
Midfield anchorman Katsande was one of the important regulars who stayed behind with the coach.
He said yesterday he was wary of a side placed second from bottom of the premiership standings.
“They are very dangerous, but we are both desperate for three points. We must approach them with caution,” said Katsande.
Stars have been relegated before in 2006, but spent just one season in the National First Division, staging an immediate comeback.
The Bethlehem-based team have managed to hold on to their top-flight status for six consecutive seasons since, but will look back to sacking coach Steve Komphela in December, having barely reached the halfway mark, as a turning point in their disastrous campaign.
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