KickOff’s Siya Ndlela spent the morning with Kaizer Chiefs as the Soweto giants put in their preparations for the upcoming DStv Premiership clash against SuperSport United. Here are three things we learned at Chiefs' Media Open Day.
Amakhosi will be looking to turn the corner when they host Amatsatsantsa at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday evening.
On the back of a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Richards Bay, Chiefs are hard at work on the training pitch to ensure they return from Polokwane with all three points in the bag.
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Here are THREE updates noted from the Chiefs camp:
Ditlhokwe boost
Amakhosi’s backline is likely to receive some more power as Thatayaone Ditlhokwe edges closer to full fitness. The Botswana national team captain was injured on country duty in November 2023 and after undergoing surgery on his shoulder, has returned to full training.
Ditlhokwe looked lively and mobile in Thursday’s warm-up sessions and could very well feature sooner rather than later, with Johnson hopeful the defender returns before the end of the season.
Matlou and Dolly absence
In some bad news for the Amakhosi faithful, it does not seem likely that the duo George Matlou and Keagan Dolly will return to action anytime soon.
The pair were notable absentees in Chiefs' full team training on Thursday as they both nurse their way back from their respective injuries.
Matlou had a recent operation on his knee, while Dolly is understood to have suffered a toe injury that rules him out of action at least until the start of May. The duo have been unfortunate with injuries this season.
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Morale still low?
Whether it be the tragic passing of teammate Luke Fleurs or the recent run of poor form that has seen them collect just two wins from their last 10 league matches, the mood at the Kaizer Chiefs Village remains grey, at least from this reporter’s perspective.
There’s a chuckle here and there, a smile or a wave but nothing close to the usual buzz and warmth around the camp and upbeat smiles from players in previous media days. A sentiment partly acknowledged by defender Dillan Solomons.
"It’s been tough, obviously. He (Fleurs) was very close to with a lot of the players and me included but on the field, we have to be better," Solomons told journalists on Thursday.
"It’s not supposed to affect us on the field, it affects us off the field and ja, it has been something to motivate us and to give us that edge I think. This coming weekend we are looking forward to going to Polokwane to try and get something for him."
Chiefs sit 10th on the DStv Premiership log table with six matches to play. A win against SuperSport could potentially take them up to 8th.
The match is scheduled to kick-off at 17:30.
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