Kaizer Chiefs’ dribbling wizard Kabelo Mahlasela has revealed the team are worried over the possibility of not qualifying for next season’s MTN8 Cup.
However‚ the former Bloemfontein Celtic attacker said that he personally believes Amakhosi will pull out the stops in their final two matches and rally for a top-half place.
Chiefs meet Free State Stars at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday in their penultimate Absa Premiership game‚ then Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next Saturday (May 11) in the last fixture.
Amakhosi are in an unfamiliar position on the log in seventh place. They not only face the embarrassment of failing to qualify for next season’s R8-million knockout MTN8 for this campaign’s top eight finishers‚ but are a whopping 15 points behind archrivals and joint leaders Orlando Pirates.
Having failed to win in their last five league matches‚ very few will bet on Chiefs winning their remaining two games but Mahlasela‚ despite his teammates’ reservations‚ is confident the team will end the season with back-to-back wins.
Asked if Chiefs are worried about not making the top eight‚ the 28-year-old Sebokeng-born pint-sized attacking midfielder candidly responded: “Ja [we are].
“I mean all of us here are aware of the situation we find ourselves in at the moment.”
Chiefs might need at least three or four points from their remaining two matches to guarantee their MTN8 place‚ and the injury-prone Mahlasela said the team is pulling in one direction to achieve that.
“We will be working hard to make sure that we play in the MTN8 come next season.
“I think with these remaining two games we need to make sure that we win both of them.
“We need to make sure that we get the six points out of these two important matches to make sure that we end the season well in the league and of course before the Nedbank Cup final‚” said Mahlasela.
Amakhosi meet First Division TS Galaxy in the season-ending Nedbank Cup final in Durban on May 18.
Chiefs’ disappointing 32 goals in 28 outings‚ coupled with 11 draws and eight defeats‚ are the reasons why they are languishing in mid-table but Mahlasela has promised the team will turn things around in their remaining matches.
“We do create chances it is just in the final third where we have had problems scoring goals‚” said the winger.
“Yes we do score goals in other games – like we won 4-2 against Chippa United [in the Nedbank semifinals]. So we are working on it everyday and the coaches are making sure that we do finish our chances.
“At the end of the day it is up to us on the field to make sure that when we get a chance we take it. But I think we are working towards it.”
PSL this weekend -
Saturday (all 3pm):
Kaizer Chiefs v Free State Stars (Mbombela Stadium)
Bidvest Wits v Baroka FC (Bidvest Stadium)
Maritzburg United v SuperSport United (Harry Gwala Stadium)
AmaZulu v Black Leopards (King Zwelithini Stadium)
Cape Town City v Orlando Pirates (Athlone Stadium)
Polokwane City v Chippa United (Old Peter Mokaba Stadium)
Highlands Park v Bloemfontein Celtic (Makhulong Stadium)
Kaizer Chiefs can avoid the dreaded slip from 7de laan‚ says Mahlasela
Kaizer Chiefs’ dribbling wizard Kabelo Mahlasela has revealed the team are worried over the possibility of not qualifying for next season’s MTN8 Cup.
However‚ the former Bloemfontein Celtic attacker said that he personally believes Amakhosi will pull out the stops in their final two matches and rally for a top-half place.
Chiefs meet Free State Stars at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday in their penultimate Absa Premiership game‚ then Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next Saturday (May 11) in the last fixture.
Amakhosi are in an unfamiliar position on the log in seventh place. They not only face the embarrassment of failing to qualify for next season’s R8-million knockout MTN8 for this campaign’s top eight finishers‚ but are a whopping 15 points behind archrivals and joint leaders Orlando Pirates.
Having failed to win in their last five league matches‚ very few will bet on Chiefs winning their remaining two games but Mahlasela‚ despite his teammates’ reservations‚ is confident the team will end the season with back-to-back wins.
Asked if Chiefs are worried about not making the top eight‚ the 28-year-old Sebokeng-born pint-sized attacking midfielder candidly responded: “Ja [we are].
“I mean all of us here are aware of the situation we find ourselves in at the moment.”
Chiefs might need at least three or four points from their remaining two matches to guarantee their MTN8 place‚ and the injury-prone Mahlasela said the team is pulling in one direction to achieve that.
“We will be working hard to make sure that we play in the MTN8 come next season.
“I think with these remaining two games we need to make sure that we win both of them.
“We need to make sure that we get the six points out of these two important matches to make sure that we end the season well in the league and of course before the Nedbank Cup final‚” said Mahlasela.
Amakhosi meet First Division TS Galaxy in the season-ending Nedbank Cup final in Durban on May 18.
Chiefs’ disappointing 32 goals in 28 outings‚ coupled with 11 draws and eight defeats‚ are the reasons why they are languishing in mid-table but Mahlasela has promised the team will turn things around in their remaining matches.
“We do create chances it is just in the final third where we have had problems scoring goals‚” said the winger.
“Yes we do score goals in other games – like we won 4-2 against Chippa United [in the Nedbank semifinals]. So we are working on it everyday and the coaches are making sure that we do finish our chances.
“At the end of the day it is up to us on the field to make sure that when we get a chance we take it. But I think we are working towards it.”
PSL this weekend -
Saturday (all 3pm):
Kaizer Chiefs v Free State Stars (Mbombela Stadium)
Bidvest Wits v Baroka FC (Bidvest Stadium)
Maritzburg United v SuperSport United (Harry Gwala Stadium)
AmaZulu v Black Leopards (King Zwelithini Stadium)
Cape Town City v Orlando Pirates (Athlone Stadium)
Polokwane City v Chippa United (Old Peter Mokaba Stadium)
Highlands Park v Bloemfontein Celtic (Makhulong Stadium)