Kaizer Chiefs are firmly on the back foot heading into this weekend’s Nedbank Cup final against Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates in Durban.
The two teams met in an entertaining derby in the Betway Premiership this past Saturday, with Ezimnyama Ngenkani walking away with a well-deserved 2-1 victory. That result should surely put Pirates in the drivers’ seat come Saturday’s final.
What will get Jose Riveiro’s men’s tails up is the fact that they overcame a Chiefs outfit that was playing well. While not too flashy, Chiefs controlled ball possession for much of the encounter, but were let down by their lack of firepower up front.
The men from Naturena surprised everyone in attendance at the FNB Stadium when they took the lead with just two minutes played through Makabi Lilepo. However, they were not able to drive their advantage home.
Pirates clawed their way back with Evidence Makgopa finding the back of the net in the first half, before President yama2000 Relebohile Mofokeng delivered the killer blow with 20 minutes of the game left to play.
While the scoreline might suggest it was a tense affair, it was anything but. Chiefs saw most of the ball, but they did very little with it. In the entire game, they shot at goal just three times, with only one of those shots on target.
Unless they can address their frailties up front — which have been troubling them all season – Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final in Durban might see Riveiro’s Pirates lift a third straight domestic cup double.
Nasreddine Nabi and his players owe it to the club’s fans to put up a real fight this weekend, or the calls for his sacking will grow even louder.
The stage is set for another memorable derby and Nedbank Cup final. For the men in black, they’ll want to give their beloved Riveiro a chance to end his time with the club on a high note.
For Chiefs, Saturday’s final represents an opportunity for the club to restore some pride. Anything less than a defiant, spirited performance could mark the end of the road for Nabi — and signal yet another painful turning point in Kaizer Chiefs’ long quest to return to glory.
IOL Sport
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