Kaizer Chiefs will return to Betway Premiership action on Wednesday night when they host Cape Town City at FNB Stadium, following their successful run to the Nedbank Cup semifinals.
The Glamour Boys will try to increase their league total by three points. The game is scheduled to begin at 7.30pm.
Captain Yusuf Maart, who came off the bench against Stellenbosch at the weekend, will be hoping for a starting spot in coach Nasreddine Nabi’s line-up.
“The win on Saturday gave us confidence, and I want to thank the fans for the amazing support they gave us in Gqeberha,” Maart told Amakhosi’s website.
“We are aware that City beat us the last time we played them, so we are extra motivated to go there and put the effort in to win.”
Chiefs have a point to prove
Fixtures are coming thick and fast with little turnaround time as the team enters the national cup competition.
Maart, though, does not consider that to be a barrier to their goals for the rest of the campaign.
He explained: “We manage the load because the coaches understand how to look after us. We eat properly, sleep properly, and we have good recovery between games.”
Amakhosi will have a point to prove in front of their home crowd because they lost against the Citizens earlier in the season.
Despite being a little weary of the opposition, Maart thinks they have a plan in place to win.
“It’s not easy to prepare for a team like City because they can play different styles of football, but we do know they like to run.
“For us, as a team, it is more about executing the coach’s instructions on how we should play.”
Committed to the team’s cause
With a league qualifying spot for CAF still within their grasp and the club’s trophy drought possibly ending in just three Nedbank Cup games, Maart said that every member of the team is fully committed to reaching those goals.
“We are all trying to push each other to get to a level where we can just concentrate on winning each and every game from now until the end of the season,” he said.
The midfield player has had a season that has been up and down due to injuries, missing some games.
Despite this, he is still totally committed to the team’s cause as its leader, regardless of his personal circumstances.
“Everyone in the squad wants to play, but we are all committed to what the coach decides, so you also have to be happy for the person who gets selected.
“That’s how football is, because it is a team game and we are all in it together.”
