He needs both to be fighting fit to lead the Amakhosi attack against

the kings of Europe Manchester United in the Vodacom Challenge final at

Loftus on Saturday. Kick-off is at 3.30pm.

Chiefs won the right to play the newly crowned English Premiership

and European Champions League champions at a sold-out Loftus when

Amakhosi outplayed their arch-rivals Orlando Pirates 2-0 in the Soweto

Challenge Derby played at Port Elizabeth's EPRU Stadium on Thursday

night.

But despite an easy win over Bucs, Ertugral was counting his walking

wounded claiming that Pirates were kicking his players all over the

pitch.

Said Ertugral: “I was furious with those tackles. It was a huge

embarrassment. This type of play does not belong in South African

soccer. Hopefully both Torrealba and Motaung will have recovered. But

it will be a race against time.”

Ertugral's Chiefs have been the better of the two Premier Soccer

League sides in the Challenge.

Bucs coach Rudi Krol needs to start learning fast about local soccer

if he is to survive. After Chiefs and United drew 1-1 in the opening

Challenge clash at Newlands in Cape Town in a pulsating 90 minutes that

had the capacity Newlands crowd on the edge of their seats, Krol

fielded a reserve team against United in Durban on Tuesday and Bucs

were beaten 1-0.

Even bringing in 11 fresh players against Chiefs did not help Krol

or Bucs as they were well beaten by a far better organised and

professional Amakhosi.

Chiefs more than deserve the right to play the best team in Europe

in a showpiece final with a guaranteed full house.

Said Ertugral: “It is a huge honour to play the best team in the

world twice in the space of a week. We are keen to play them and learn

from the experience.”

Chiefs famously beat the Red Devils on a penalty shootout in the

Challenge final two years ago at the same venue.

But Ertugral is a realist. He said: “Last time we played United they

brought a second or more like a third string team. This time they have

brought their best players. It is going to be another great game but I

would be a fool to predict we could beat the best in the world in a

final. We will certainly do our best.”

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said after playing both sides that

he thought Pirates were the better of the two. He said this after

beating Pirates. If Ferguson, known for playing mind games with

opposing managers, was trying to wind up Chiefs he has succeeded.

Said the most respected manager in British soccer: “Chiefs were the

better side two years ago. But Pirates have closed the gap and are

maybe now slightly ahead of Chiefs.”

That sort of remark will help motivate Chiefs who not only matched

United at Newlands but destroyed Pirates in a clinical display that

showed Amakhosi are heading for bigger things under Ertugral in the

Premier Soccer League this season.

However, United and Ferguson hate losing even friendly tournaments.

Ertugral said he expected United to field his best side in Saturday's

final.

That means that Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez will lead the

attack with Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick and Darren

Fletcher in the midfield mix with Gary Neville, John O'Shea and Mikael

Silvestre as a solid unit in defence.

A daunting task for Chiefs but on their side will be their partisan

fans in the capacity crowd raring them on.

Torrealba has proved a good

buy while Itumeleng Khune has shown he is the best goalkeeper in the

country and has the ability to play in Europe.

Midfielder Siphiwe

Tshabalala has also caught the eye and he has grown in stature during

this week. He can be relied on to play another big role on the left of

midfield.

© Sapa