A SENSE of expectation hangs in the air as Leonardo Castro prepares for his Kaizer Chiefs debut.
Pending receipt of his work permit, Castro will play his first match in four months when Chiefs face Polokwane City at the FNB Stadium tomorrow (8.15pm).
The Colombian joined Amakhosi in the current transfer window, arriving as a beacon of hope for the goal drought hit Chiefs.
He last played for Mamelodi Sundowns in October, having last scored a league goal nearly two years ago.
But coach Steve Komphela is more than eager to throw Castro, along with Siphelele Ntshangase, into the deep end against Rise And Shine.
“Parker (Bernard) is a runner, Paez (Gustavo) is a runner, but we don’t have somebody who can stay consistently in the box. Castro will give us that dimension,” said Komphela.
“He can combine well with others... lay off, protect the ball and he is also a goal scorer. If he combines well with Paez, with language and all that, then the chemistry could get stronger.”
Coming up against City, Komphela has once again lamented the lack of goals, acknowledging the threat posed by the Limpopo-based side.
“Our league standing is worrisome,” he said, going into his 100th game milestone.
“The defence is good, but in terms of scoring, we are not scoring, hence we’ve come up with the intervention. Maybe Ntshangase and Castro will help us.
“City just won against Sundowns, played a draw against us. Their coach (Bernard Molekwa) is quite smart yet very humble. Rodney Ramagalela is there, Rendani Ndou is there, Maluleke (Jabu) is there... quite a number of players who’d give you problems. So we just have to be alert playing at home.”
With his contract ending soon, Komphela is unsure whether he is staying or going at the end of the season.
Chiefs boss Bobby Motaung has described his future as a “work in progress”, insisting his stay was depending on the progress of the team.
Said Komphela: “Anxiety builds when you are not sure. I’m not anxious. I’m a man of process. I’m working here, looking at going as far as the last day, contributing in a manner that when I leave or stay, I’ve done my job in a manner that is highly respectable.”