Kaizer Chiefs will grind with everything that they have for a second huge Absa Premiership victory against Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2019-20 season’s title race‚ Amakhosi midfielder Willard Katsande has said.

With the gap having been painstakingly whittled to three points by second-placed defending champion trophy machine Sundowns‚ Chiefs know that they can relinquish their advantage in the championship battle in the clash at Orlando Stadium on Thursday evening.

Given 2016 Caf Champions League winners Downs’ trophy-clinching experience‚ and Chiefs having not won silverware in four past seasons‚ a betting man might be inclined to put their money on the Brazilians from the current situation.

Chiefs‚ ninth-placed finishers in 2019-20‚ also were not given much hope of a victory in the corresponding away fixture in October‚ when a 2-0 win to Amakhosi signalled the Soweto giants would challenge for the title in their 50th anniversary season.

“When we played them in the first round people never gave us a chance‚” Katsande said in a pre-match online press conference on Tuesday.

“And we knew what we wanted and we knew that if we applied the tactics that the coach told us we were going to come out victorious‚ and we would have been good visitors at the capital city.

“Going into this match‚ we know what’s at stake. We just want to try to improve‚ keep going forward‚ keep on doing well.

“Because we started this journey when everyone was not even giving us a chance as we were coming from a bad season not even finishing in the top eight.

“So we just need to approach this match with respect to our opposition. At the same time that we are calm‚ we are very aggressive.

“We know what’s at stake. We are still in control. It’s up to us what we are going to dish in this match.

“But the most important thing is that it’s not about skill‚ it’s not about experience – it’s about who wants it more for that particular time.

“So we just need to put our hearts in and just go and grind. And if they run 3‚000‚ we need to run 5‚000 kilometres to grind the result.

“Because the most important thing is that we really want the result‚ and we are going to work hard for it.”

Chiefs (53 points from 26 matches) at one stage had a 13-point lead over Sundowns (50 from 26) in December.