Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane is anticipating a tough encounter against their hoodoo side Royal AM.
Amakhosi meet Thwihli Thwahla in a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal clash at Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday evening and Zwane says Amakhosi will leave it all out on the pitch in their effort to overcome Royal AM.
Zwane anticipates nothing less than a Battle Royale against a team that has posed problems for Amakhosi in the past.
“I think we all know we are playing against a team that has been very difficult to play, more especially for us in the past two seasons,” Zwane said at the pre-match press conference. “So we are not expecting an easy game and we are playing away from home. They won their last game, 3-1, and that alone tells you the depth they have in their squad and they will also want to progress to the next round of the competition.”
The match presents Chiefs with an opportunity to move a step closer towards a shot at the last trophy on offer this season and Zwane says Amakhosi are planiing to go all the way in the Nedbank Cup.
“We are planning to go all out. We are not going to hold back because this is a perfect opportunity for us to go through.”
“There are no easy games,” continues Zwane. “Whether you are playing against a big team or one of the so-called smaller teams. In actual fact, there are no longer any small teams. All the games are difficult and what is key is to plan accordingly and make sure you profile the opposition properly.”
“We don’t stop working hard. There are a lot of positives, as I have been saying. It is better to create chances (and not convert) than not create them at all. It gives us ne task to focus on, to become more clinical in front of goals. We will keep working on that aspect to ensure that we take our chances.”
On the flip-side, Zwane has also been hard at work with his defensive unit to improve concentration and eliminate some of the unforced errors that have proven costly.
“When you start conceding goals you shouldn’t be conceding , you panic a little bit, more especially when it becomes a habit. It is normal for any human being, when he’s in a situation he’s trying to avoid, and when you are working hard on trying to avoid those things at all cost, and they keep haunting us, keep happening, this can play on his mind,” he said. “But, mistakes are part of the game and you will always find yourself in that situation when you are trying to do something right that you think can help the team, and it doesn’t work. We are working with the players to teach them to enjoy the game more. We don’t want them to panic. We just try to minimise our mistakes. We still want to keep the same character and we’ll keep working on it because, at this level, you can’t continuously make the same mistakes time and again.”
Chiefs will be minus Dillan Solomons when they face Royal AM on Sunday.
“We have lost Dillan Solomons, who was sick. He has not been able to recover for this game and will not be available. We will see how we balance our squad and see who can come in for him,” explained Zwane.
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