Kaizer Chiefs will host Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium on Saturday, with both teams desperate to collect maximum points for different reasons.
Amakhosi need to get back to winning ways to remain in the title race, while the Buccaneers will be keen to end their 10-game winless run and improve their position on the log.
Former Bucs midfielder Dikgang Mabalane expects his former club to show hunger and desire to win, saying the players will be eager to impress new coach Kjell Jonevret.
“I think there is a difference in terms of how Pirates played in their last game against Polokwane City. It could help them in terms of confidence,” Mabalane told The Sowetan.
“Otherwise games before that, we could have been talking a different story, but since there is a new coach, the mentality might have changed. So, they are eager to impress the coach. I think Pirates can surprise but unfortunately I see another draw,” Mabalane said.
Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi doesn't expect fireworks in this fixture despite the hype ahead of this weekend's match.
He feels coaches rely more on tactics than skill.
“The game now relies on tactics more than the ability of skill,” Nkosi said.
Despite Amakhosi winning five of their last seven league games, Nkosi has not been impressed with their overall display, especially in the final third.
“Chiefs, for one, have had a good run, but I don’t see fluency in their game. Also, they are not resourceful enough in a sense that they usually score through set-pieces."
“You find that in the games they have won, 90% if not 95% of their goals have come from set-pieces, and what happens if a team defends set-pieces very well? Pirates have a different coach now and he’s going to analyse them."
“He will try work at that and if they (Pirates) make it difficult for Chiefs in set-pieces, what is the other solution?... There is no fluency,” Nkosi concluded.
