Chiefs will have to face new challenge of silent stadium

Their loyal fans have been an essential ingredient in Kaizer Chiefs' rich gravy of success for five decades and their absence from the stands will be felt by the popular club in these final weeks of the premiership season.

Chiefs command the largest following in SA football and their rivals acknowledge the boisterous atmosphere created by the fans, both home and away, both motivates the Amakhosi and intimidates the opposition.

The coaches of the eight teams they still have to face this season should be happy they don't have to deal with the supporters.

Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp is well aware that Covid-19 has deprived them of a hugely influential element in their arsenal when they face a tricky BidVest Wits at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.

"Jah‚ I absolutely think it is very painful not to have our die-hard supporters around‚" he said.

"We know it is a huge expectation from a huge crowd‚ probably the biggest in the country and in Africa supporting a club like Kaizer Chiefs‚ in particular now in the 50th year.

"It is absolutely something that we will miss.

"On the other side we know that everybody will support us‚ will press their thumbs and make it happen with good prayers in the morning.

"We know we have the support and‚ good‚ we will highlight it ourselves knowing we have to fulfil expectations going into the final day of the season on September 5.

"Of course‚ we want to win the league."

Chiefs suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to relegation-threatened AmaZulu in their last league match before Covid-19 closed the season in March. They will face a serious examination of their title credentials when they face coach Gavin Hunt's businesslike charges.

Wits should go into this encounter with a slight edge as they faced Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup on Saturday.

They pushed Sundowns to the limit before going down 3-2 in a tight contest and Middendorp would be advised to take heed of the warning that was issued by Brazilians coach Pitso Mosimane after barely surviving the skirmish.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s a good team. And you can see it’s a good coach‚ Gavin. And you can see he’s a fighter. He will never leave anything easy‚" a relieved Mosimane said.

“So we respect them and this is a warning to anyone to say‚ ‘Hey‚ if you’re going to play BidVest Wits be very careful. Don’t think about Tshakhuma and all those things.

“They are alive and kicking. The heartbeat is still there. And they fight.”

Masala Mulaudzi completed a stunning takeover of Wits last month in a shock move that shook South African club football to its foundations.

He acquired the 99-year-old club for an undisclosed fee and is relocating the team to Limpopo at the end of the season.

The Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila owner was introduced to the Wits players last month but as Mosimane warned‚ they remain a formidable side and Chiefs will be advised to thread very carefully at Orlando Stadium.