Though they should have plenty of cover as they’ve beefed up their squad substantially, Kaizer Chiefs will be without a key player for their opening Betway Premiership encounter against Stellenbosch FC over the weekend.
Chiefs take on Stellenbosch in Cape Town on Sunday. The match was initially scheduled to take place at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, but has now been moved inland to Athlone Stadium.
Stellies already began their new campaign as they took part in the MTN8 quarter-final season opener last weekend.
Steve Barker’s men held their nerve for a 3-2 extra time victory over AmaZulu at DHL Stadium. With Chiefs having missed out on the MTN8 as they finished outside the top eight in the league for the second season in a row, they will only get their new season underway a week later.
Chiefs Coach Expresses Regret Over Pule Mmodi’s Suspension Ahead of Season Opener
Pule Mmodi, however, will not be available as he picked up a red card in the final game of last season, as the offence carries over.
“We are ready but just regretting the absence of Pule Mmodi for the first game because of suspension,” Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi said.
“He is an important player for us. But I need to give confidence to all the players to get a positive result.”
Chiefs have also made a number of new signings in Ethan Chislett, Nkanyiso Shinga, Flavio Silva, Thabiso Monyane, Paseka Mako and Siphesihle Ndlovu.
This could be an important step for Chiefs if they seriously want to compete with their Soweto Derby rivals Orlando Pirates and the reigning Betway Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
