08/08/2015
Defending league champions Kaizer Chiefs are scheduled to open their Absa Premiership account against Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Kick-off is at 3pm - Live on SS4 .
The hosts have been chopping and changing coaches and managed to escape relegation by a whisker as they finished last season at position 14.
Following their PSL survival, Chippa reinstated Roger Sikhakhane as head coach.
The Port Elizabeth-based side have brought in the likes of Mark Mayambela, Lerato Manzini and a Nigerian goalkeeper in Daniel Akpeyi to bolster their side.
Amakhosi are the current holders of the league and the MTN8 Cup and despite losing their coach in Stuart Baxter, the mission remains the same which is to set new records and raise the momentum.
The Naturena-based side will be led by former Maritzburg United coach Steve Komphela and the former Bafana Bafana skipper knows that winning is the club’s culture.
Although they’ve missed out on lifting trophies during the pre-season having lost the King’s Cup in Swaziland and the Carling Black Label Cup, they remain favourites to lift major silverware in the new campaign.
The Glamour Boys started their 2015/16 campaign with a 5-3 extra time win over Maritzburg United in a MTN8 quarterfinal match on Wednesday with George Lebese scoring a brace.
Last season, the Glamour Boys only lost three matches in the league and beat the Chilli Boys in their final match back in May 2-0.
Speaking before the match, midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane said winning comes natural at Chiefs and their aim is to continue in that vein.
“From the players’ point of view, we will do things the way the coach requests,” said Yeye.
"We've done our preparation with the coach by the time of the game and we will be ready.
"We always want to achieve. If you set a standard you want to keep the standard and improve.
"We want to win and set new records.”
However, to the coach Sikhakhane, the club is ready to open their account and their preparations have gone well.
“Yeah, it’s a tough start, but you have to play all the teams in the League anyways,” he said.
“We have been planning with that start in mind and obviously we want to get a result, but if we don’t then it’s also not the end of the world. It’s more about what we manage to achieve in the whole season.
“So far it’s going well, the players we have signed are combining very well and fitting into what we are doing. They have shown us some good qualities, especially the NFD boys, and everyone is very committed, so I’m looking forward to a good season.”
