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Middendorp hails character of Chiefs

football16 August 2020 08:05| © Mzansi Football
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Kaizer Chiefs’ Absa Premiership title ambitions may just have turned on six crucial second half minutes as the club roared back from 2-0 down to beat Polokwane City at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.

Chiefs trailed at the 70 minute mark, but three goals in quick succession from Willard Katsande, Anthony Akumu and Samir Nurkovic not only rescued a point, but handed them all three.

They now lead second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns by six points, albeit having played a game more, and the ability to turn defeat into victory will no doubt spur them for the remainder of the campaign.    

"We weren't a very happy team at half-time. Credit to Polokwane City. They caught us sleeping three or four times," Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp said.

"The changes helped us in the second half with the bringing in of experienced players like Katsande, Rama [Ramahlwe Mphahlele], Bernard Parker. In the second half, we had a calmness, coolness, we built up in a totally different way.

"Being 2-0 down and scoring three goals in eight [six] minutes shows the ambition, shows the character that each player had.

"We were much better in the second half. We were ambitious, focused, committed. We wanted to win this game and we have done it.”

Chiefs are next in action on Wednesday against Bloemfontein Celtic, while Sundowns must play again on Monday against a tricky Cape Town City side.

"I'm not concerned with other sides' results, who wins, who loses. I can only focus on Kaizer Chiefs, to work with the team, to prepare the team,” Middendorp says.

"History is past. Yesterday is past. The current moment is a gift. It's fantastic. The future we all know is a secret. Nobody knows. We want to win this championship. We said it in August last year and we are working hard for it as we have seen today.”

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