Cardoso wary of Chiefs as they meet in 'game of the weekend'

Sekhukhune United's Daniel Cardoso expects his former side, Kaizer Chiefs, to bring their A-game when the two outfits meet in “the game of the weekend”, saying last weekend's Nedbank Cup triumph must have invigorated Amakhosi.

Sekhukhune, who want to solidify their third spot to qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup for the second term running, host Chiefs at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday (3pm).

Chiefs, who've won just a single match of their last 10 league games with six losses and one draw, would be hoping to ride the wave of their recent cup success after beating their biggest rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the final in Durban last weekend, finally ending their nearly decade-long dry spell.

“It's another big game for them [Chiefs] because they want to make the top eight and we are fighting for the top three. Stellenbosch are behind us by just one point, so we can't slip up. We must cement our spot, so this is easily the game of the weekend for me,” Cardoso told Sowetan on Thursday.

“Winning the cup must have given Chiefs that energy to push for the top eight, so I think they'll put in maximum effort.”

The Sekhukhune defender, who spent seven years at Chiefs between 2015 and 2022, also said kudos to Amakhosi for winning the trophy, feeling the success meant the world to chairman Kaizer Motaung and the supporters.

“Well done to them. I think it's deserved after so many years. Ten years is a long time without a trophy. This means a lot to the chairman and the fans,” the 36-year-old Cardoso said.

Meanwhile, Chiefs defender Edmilson Dove emphasised the importance of Saturday's showdown, saying they'll put their celebrations on hold and battle it out to finish in the top eight.

“We know the importance of Saturday's game, so we put the celebrations aside and we focus on the league. The energy is positive. It's been a bit of a difficult season, but our main goal right now is trying by all means to be in the top eight ... we're working towards it,” Dove said.

With Inacio Miguel suspended, Dove is expected to partner with Zitha Kwinika at the heart of defence, while Happy Mashiane is likely to start at left-back as Bradley Cross is also suspended.

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