Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel draws battle lines for Mamelodi Sundowns showdown - 'We fear no one'

Kaizer Chiefs are currently riding a wave of momentum as they prepare for their toughest test of the season so far against Mamelodi Sundowns.

After a disappointing MTN8 exit at the hands of Golden Arrows, the Soweto giants have bounced back emphatically in the league.

The mood at Naturena was one of quiet confidence on Thursday as Inacio Miguel addressed the media.

The defender revealed that the focus now is to maintain the winning mentality that has seen them take six points from a possible six.

Miguel was quick to acknowledge recent significant achievements of Masandawana. However, he was adamant that respect should not be confused with intimidation.

"First of all, we have to respect Sundowns," Miguel said.

"I think South Africa has to respect Sundowns because they are the champions of Africa.

"So we will face Sundowns with a lot of respect, but we cannot forget who we are. We also have to understand that we have our own capacity to go over Sundowns.

"We have to look to ourselves; we don’t have to focus on what Sundowns is capable of doing; we have to be focused on what we can do."

With a short turnaround between matches after collecting maximum points against Sekhukhune United, the emphasis at Naturena has been on physical readiness and tactical meetings.

The 30-year-old defender stressed the importance of analysing the specific threats posed by the Pretoria-based outfit while also identifying areas where Amakhosi can exploit their weaknesses.

He further noted that Sundowns will likely adapt their approach specifically for the Soweto giants, which requires Chiefs to be equally versatile.

"The most important thing now is to try to get the maximum energy that we spent last night[Wednesday], to recover as soon as possible, have meetings, and understand how Sundowns want to play," he explained.

"Because playing against Polokwane City won’t be the same as playing against Chiefs—we don’t play the same way. It will be different ways to try to stop us, and we have to understand how we can also hurt them."

Head coach Fernando Da Cruz has challenged his players to elevate their standards, and Miguel insists the squad has embraced this challenge with a fearless attitude.

"Like I said, we have to respect the fact that Sundowns won the Champions League, but Sundowns is Sundowns—and at the same time, we are Kaizer Chiefs," Miguel asserted.

"We also fight for our goals. We fear no one. I think the message is very clear: we fear no one, no matter if they are champions of the Champions League or the PSL."

The defender concluded by promising the fans that the same intensity shown in their recent wins will be present on Saturday afternoon.

"We are going to face them as we faced Sekhukhune. We are going to start the game with the same ambition, the same spirit of fighting, and going for every duel. That is the message from the coach."