Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi believes that his side has a big responsibility to bring home silverware in the near future as the Glamour Boys prepare to take on Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 at the FNB Stadium on Saturday evening. Kick-off is at 6pm (CAT, GMT+2), live on SuperSport.
CURRENT FORM
Amakhosi booked their spot in the Nedbank Cup Round of 16 following a convincing 4-0 win against Free Agents FC at the FNB Stadium on the 26th of January. Chiefs were led with goals by Pule Mmodi (2), Inacio Miguel and Ranga Chivaviro, while the ABC Motsepe League side had no answer to the PSL giants.
The Chilli Boys qualified for the last 16 via a 2-1 win against Golden Arrows at the Mpumalanga Stadium on the 25th of January. While the score was level at 1-1 until the 77th mark, an own goal by Brandon Theron separated the sides in what was an exciting encounter in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Both sides are struggling to yield positive results in the Betway Premiership with Chiefs jotting down two wins, two losses and one draw in their last five matches.
Chippa on the other hand, bagged only one victory in their last handful of Betway Premiership games, recording three losses and one stalemate during this period.
As it stands, Chiefs occupy 6th on the log, while Chippa are in 11th position after 15 games played.
WHAT WAS SAID
Chippa United coach Thabo September has urged his side to apply the right mentality when facing the Soweto club this weekend.
“It's a cup game and it's a once-off match, so you need to approach it with the right mentality to make sure that you play well,” September said.
“Give your all in that 90 minutes and make sure we capitalise on the opportunities that we create.
“We also have to be stubborn and selfish in terms of conceding goals, so we have a good plan on what we need to do. Playing against a big team like Chiefs is a great opportunity for these players to showcase their talent.
“The rest of the team looks good. So, we have a good pool that we can select from against Chiefs and we just need to go out there and show the good talent that we have.”
Amakhosi coach Nasreddine Nabi expressed that the impatient nature of the club’s fanbase warrants immediate success.
“The fans don’t want to hear ‘project or process’, they want results. But from myself, we don’t need to react with emotions.
“We believe the players are starting to get confidence, in themselves, in the message conveyed by the technical staff and … in dealing with pressure that comes with being at a big club.
“We are responsible for millions of people, that’s why there’s no sleep when there’s a bad result for Chiefs.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chippa United: Craig Martin – While Chiefs might be eager to get higher up the pitch, Martin’s pace could trouble his opposite number. Also, the ex-Cape Town City star enters the pitch with heaps of experience, particularly as a big game player.
Kaizer Chiefs: Gaston Sirino – Similarly to that of Martin, Sirino is an experienced campaigner in the PSL. At the age of 33, the Uruguayan is still regarded as one of the leading playmakers in the PSL and could play a vital part in Chiefs pursuit of silverware this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Previous Cup meetings:
2017/18 Telkom KO, QF Chippa 0-1 Chiefs Parker (pen)
2018/19 Nedbank Cup, SF Chippa 2-4 Chiefs Mbenyane, L. Manzini; Zuma,
Andrianarimanana, Parker Billiat
Last five league results:
2022/23 Chiefs 1-2 Chippa Ngezana; Luthuli, Dove (og)
2022/23 Chippa 0-1 Chiefs Du Preez
2023/24 Chiefs 0-0 Chippa
2023/24 Chippa 2-0 Chiefs Eva Nga, Kwayiba
2024/25 Chiefs 1-0 Chippa Shabalala