Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane is determined to put smiles on the faces of their supporters when Cape Town City visit the FNB Stadium on the final day of the season on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 3pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)
Ugly scenes at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium last weekend saw Amakhosi fans turn on Zwane after a 1-0 defeat to SuperSport United all but ended their faint hopes of CAF football.
Zwane sustained an injury to his eye as he was escorted to the dressing room by police, who protected him from projectiles being thrown from the stands.
The Glamour Boys are now fighting for a fourth-placed finish after a third loss in four games left them seven points adrift of Matsatsantsa, with the Citizens breathing down their necks in fifth position.
Zwane is expected to return to the dugout this weekend and has vowed to get the supporters back on his side, insisting that better times are ahead.
"I have seen them supporting the team through thick and thin - when things weren't going our way. I know how they want things to improve within the squad," he said.
"We are also worried about the situation because we thought we could make it better. But when you are in the phase that we are in, you'll always have those hiccups and challenges.
"They are always in our thoughts and we always want to make them happy. [But] most definitely, the time when we'll make them happy. And when they are happy and smiling like others, they'll focus on days like these."
Next Kaizer Chiefs Match!
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) May 16, 2023
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??Kaizer Chiefs vs. Cape Town City FC
??First Team
??Saturday 20 May 2023
??FNB Stadium
??15h00
??SuperSport PSL 202
??R60 - Ticketpro, Spar: https://t.co/PwObUa8Nko
??Family Zone
??Toyota Zone#Amakhosi4Life #UnityInAction pic.twitter.com/YAO4olY0SE
City were also in the hunt for a top-three finish before a four-game winless run during March and April dashed their hopes of continental football.
However, a 2-0 win over Richards Bay last Saturday took them within two points of Chiefs and they have a chance to leapfrog the Soweto giants in the standings with a third victory in four outings.
Eric Tinkler's team are unbeaten in their last four league matches against Amakhosi and will be looking to make it three wins on the spin, having triumphed 2-0 in the reverse fixture on 23 August.
Tinkler expressed his relief at missing out on qualifying for the CAF competitions though, citing the unsavory nature of their Champions League exit at the hands of Petro de Luanda in the second round as the reason.
Asked if he relished a return to the African stage, Tinkler replied: "Not after our last game this season, what happened there, I think it was diabolical and if that's what that football is about then I would rather not get involved and that's my honest opinion.
"I'd rather not be involved in situations like that because there's a lot of money we have to spend to go into these competitions, and clubs have to take it out of their pockets because they're not sponsored by CAF in the preliminary rounds."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kaizer Chiefs
Ashley Du Preez: The 25-year-old winger is finally starting to show the form that persuaded Chiefs to sign him from Stellenbosch in the off-season. Du Preez scored a stunner from range to secure a 1-0 win over Chippa United on 27 April, which was his third goal in four games and took his tally for the season to six from 24 appearances.
Siyabonga Ngezana: Zwane will be demanding more from the 25-year-old centre-back, who's formed part of a defence that has kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches. Ngezana has been given more opportunities in the new year after spending much of the second half of 2022 on the bench and he's chipped in with two goals from 18 appearances.
Cape Town City
Khanyisa Mayo: The 24-year-old striker is attracting interest from the big clubs after really kicking on this season. Mayo showed glimpses of his promise in 2021-22 but has risen to the challenge of leading City's line, bagging 12 goals in 26 outings, including eight in his last eight games to go level with Mamelodi Sundowns ace Peter Shalulile at the top of the scoring charts.
Thabo Nodada: The 28-year-old midfielder made an impact off the bench against Richards Bay, setting up Mayo to bag his second goal of the game nine minutes from time. It was Nodada's third assist of the season - more than any other City player - and he will be hoping to have done enough to earn a recall to the starting line-up after two successive substitute's appearances.