Back in August Chiefs and SuperSport opened up the season with a bang so to say, as the two teams played out an exciting four goal stalemate which saw Chiefs grab an equalizer late in the game. The Amakhosi will be aiming to continue grabbing headlines when they meet SuperSport on Saturday, by keeping up their recent good run of form which saw them go unbeaten in their last six games of 2006.

SuperSport United have traditionally proven to be tricky opponents for Chiefs and have in the past few seasons make life difficult for Chiefs, Ernst Middendorp though will be confident of a Chiefs victory against SuperSport on Saturday evening in Tshwane. Although Chiefs under Middendorp’s guile have yet to defeat SuperSport in a league game, the Chiefs coach will take heart from the fact that in the run in to 2006 his team managed. To conjure up five victories in their last six games, four of those victories against the likes of Moroka Swallows, Black Leopards, Amazulu and Maritzburg United were first time victories for Chiefs against these teams with Ernst Middendorp at the helm.

Over View

Over the past few seasons the rivalry between Chiefs and SuperSport has been such that neither of the two teams, likes to come out second best against the other and both teams try to do what ever they can to unsettle the opposition. The first game of the current season which saw the teams play out an enthralling high scoring draw has been indicative of the kind of high tempo, high adrenaline encounters that come out when the two teams face up to each other.

SuperSport though will enter the game against Chiefs without their Coach Pitso Mosimane and highly experienced goalkeeper Andre Arendse, as the pair have been bared a PSL disciplinary committee from sitting on the bench or participating in official league or cup games. It will be seen if the absence of the coach on the bench during his suspension period will have an effect on SuperSport, who Chiefs will be aiming to defeat in a league match for the first time since May 2005.

That victory over SuperSport in May 2005 was Chiefs penultimate game of the 2004 – 2005 season, it was a win, which catapulted Chiefs to the top of the table, and they hold onto the top spot to be crowned PSL Champions.

Current Form

In the last six weeks of 2006 Chiefs turned around their fortunes with five wins in their last six games including a six one thrashing of Maritzburg United in their second last game of the year. Languishing in twelfth position in the league in mid November, Chiefs remarkable end to the New Year saw them climb to second spot on the standings just a point behind league leaders Silver Stars. After stumbling out of the starting blocks Chiefs season and in Particular their charge for the title, has begun to take shape with a string of results where in Chiefs were scintillating to say the least.

With thirteen points of a possible fifteen in their last five league games it is safe to say that, Chiefs are the form team at the moment and will be looking to continue with that good run on Saturday. The Amakhosi have in recent times found hitting the back of the net no problem, scoring an average of three goals a game in their last five league outings. Although his team have hit a purple patch Ernst Middendorp will have put his teams remarkable run in to 2006 behind him, and will start from scratch, what is a certainty though is that he will be looking for the same kind of commitment and determination they displayed from mid November through December.

As Chiefs began singing the high notes as 2006 came to an end the last couple weeks of the year just ended were a roller coaster ride for SuperSport, whose coach and management have thrown all their resources behind their team making a serious challenge for league honours this season. Matsasantsa lost two won one and drew two of their last five of 2006, which culminated with a goalless draw away from home against Jomo Cosmos. SuperSport started off the season well enough but have in recent games dropped valuable points in games they should have won, had they have done so they could have been higher up than the sixth spot that they currently occupy in the league.

Danger Men

Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp is in the envious position of having a much wanted selection problem as he has a number of players who are presently on form. It has been up front where Chiefs have looked particularly dangerous in recent games with, the front pairing of Kaizer Motaung Junior and Shaun Bartlett giving a number of defences a tough time recently. Bartlett has found the net in all of the last five games that he played in including an injury time equalizer against Orlando Pirates, while Motaung who has a total of six goals to his name so far this season has found the back of the net four times in five games.

Siyabonga Nkosi has played himself into form recently and has contributed to his teams course by both creating and scoring goals in recent games, Zimbabwean international Tinashe Nengomasha has ably assisted Nkosi in midfield. Chiefs player of the year three seasons ago Nengomasha has been a pillar of strength for Chiefs in the midfielder and has a played a leading role in Chiefs recent success.

SuperSport United begin 2007 with new youth ful vigour and have roped in former Kaizer Chiefs youth player Michael Nkambule to bolster their team, Nkambule who has spent the leas t few years in France is widely regarded as one of the best young players in South Africa at the moment. Matsasantsa roped in Ajax Cape Town defender George Mofokeng to help bolster their defence, Mofokeng will in all probability line up alongside captain Ricardo Katza in central defence.

Perhaps SuperSport strength lay in midfield with Dane Klaite always willing and eager to turn on the style against Chiefs as he recently demonstrated, when Chiefs met SuperSport in the SAA Supa8 Final. Klate along with the ever-dangerous Katlego Mashego will be aiming to give the Chiefs defence the run around.

Kaizer Chiefs Vs SuperSport United results since the inception of the PSL in 1996 - 1997

1996/1997


Kaizer Chiefs 1-1 Supersport United


Supersport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs

1997/1998


Supersport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs


Kaizer Chiefs 0-2 Supersport United

1998/1999


SuperSport United 2-4 Kaizer Chiefs


Kaizer Chiefs 2-0 SuperSport United

1999/2000


SuperSport United 1-0 Kaizer Chiefs


Kaizer Chiefs 1-2 SuperSport United

2000/2001


SuperSport United 2-2 Kaizer Chiefs


Kaizer Chiefs 1-2 SuperSport United

2001/2002


Kaizer Chiefs 2-3 SuperSport United


SuperSport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs

2002/2003


Kaizer Chiefs 1-2 SuperSport United


SuperSport United 2-2 Kaizer Chiefs

2003/2004


Kaizer Chiefs 0-1 SuperSport


SuperSport United 3-0 Kaizer Chiefs

2004/2005


Kaizer Chiefs 0-0 SuperSport United


SuperSport United 0-1 Kaizer Chiefs

2005/2006


SuperSport United 1-1 Kaizer Chiefs


Kaizer Chiefs 0-1 SuperSport United

2006/2007


Super Sport United 2 – 2 Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs Vs Supersport United Head to Head Since inception of the PSL in 1996 - 1997

P W L D GF GA GD PTS

21 3 9 9 22 30 -8 18 (Chiefs)

21 9 3 9 30 22 8 26 (SS United)

Kaizer Chiefs last five league results

25th November2006


Black Leopards 1 Kaizer Chiefs 3

6th December 2006


Amazulu 0 Kaizer Chiefs 2

9th December 2006


Kaizer Chiefs 1 Orlando Pirates 1

17th December 2006


Kaizer Chiefs 6 Maritzburg United 1

20th December 2006


Kaizer Chiefs 3 Santos 2

SuperSport United last five league results

25th November 2006


SuperSport United 5 Lamontville Golden Arrows 1

6th December 2006


Bidvest Wits 1 SuperSport United 0

10th December 2006


Black Leopards 1 SuperSport United 0

17th December 2006


Bloemfontein Celtic 1 SuperSport United 2

20th December 2006


Jomo Cosmos 0 SuperSport United 0

Head to head Kaizer Chiefs Vs SuperSport United Last five league Games

P W L D GF GA GD PTS

5 4 0 1 15 4 11 13 (Chiefs)

5 2 2 1 7 4 3 7 (SS United)