Kaizer Chiefs will host Richards Bay at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday in a Betway Premiership clash that could prove pivotal for both teams’ campaigns.
Chiefs are desperate to arrest their recent slump in form and climb closer to the league’s top spots, while Richards Bay hope to break into the upper half of the table with a morale-boosting result.
The Amakhosi began the season brightly with back-to-back wins but have struggled since, securing just one point from their last three games.
With two losses and a draw in that stretch, Wednesday’s match has become a must-win to reignite their campaign.
However, injuries and suspensions leave them shorthanded. Key absentees include suspended defender Inacio Miguel and injured players such as Edson Castillo, Bongani Sam, and Edmilson Dove.
“We will give everything for a positive result but you know if you are in a process, the result is like that, zigzag and it is normal because you change some things and give more time to the younger players,” said Amakhosi boss Nasreddine Nabi.
“If you want to correctly develop younger players, you need to accept that sometimes you will lose. It is normal for young players and like that you can come with a new philosophy and it is not easy mentally.”
Richards Bay, on the other hand, have had a challenging season, managing just one win and two draws in seven matches.
They, too, are coming off a poor run, with one point from their last three outings. Their squad remains relatively intact, though they will be without suspended midfielder Tlakusani Mthethwa.
Recent history slightly favours Chiefs, who have won three of the last five encounters.