Posted in News on Sep 22, 2007.
Premier Soccer League
Vodacom Loftus, Tshwane
20h00
Playing conditions: Warm and dry, temperature at kick off 27°C
A hint of nostalgia for Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral as he made his way from Johannesburg to the capital city for Saturday evening's Premier League game against the club he coached during the 2006 – 2007 season Ajax Cape Town.
The Chiefs coach has said that he will have no soft spot for his old team and will use his in-depth knowledge on the Urban Warriors to good effect, as The Amakhosi aim to take three points off Ajax and move up the league standings.
It will be a Chiefs team minus the energetic left wing back Onismor Bhasera as a number of injuries and a suspension to the Zimbabwean has forced Muhsin Ertugral to make changes to the team that started the game against SuperSport on Sunday.
Nzama returns
Ertugral and his technical team have made five changes to the eleven who started the game against SuperSport. Cyril Nzama comes back in at right back for Jimmy Tau and he gets back the captain's armband for the Ajax game.
Chiefs second defensive alteration sees Ditheko Mototo who last started a game for the Amakhosi on the 31st August back in the team as a result of Bhasera’s suspension.
Injuries to both Thabo Mooki suffering from a hamstring problem and David Mathebula who broke a metatarsal in his right foot during the SuperSport game, are replaced by Gerald Sibeko and Thuso Phala. Sibeko returns to the team after missing the SuperSport match with a knee problem, while Phala earns his first league start for Chiefs on Saturday evening.
The final change sees Mabhudi Khenyeza come back into the starting line up; he takes Kaizer Motaung Junior's place in attack along side Shaun Bartlett. Kaizer Junior though is expected to enter the fray some time during the game.
Masango amongst the subs
Mandla Masango is back in the Chiefs match day squad almost six weeks after his amazing debut where he found the back of the net on the opening day of the season against Benoni Premier United on the 15th August. The young attack minded midfielder injured himself during a practise match on the 22nd August and as a result of a concussion was unable to feature for Chiefs for the past month. Along with Masango defender Fabian McCarthy returns to the Chiefs team after being out of action for more than three months as he was suffering from a root canal problem.
Line Up:
Kaizer Chiefs: 32. Itumeleng Khune, 33. Ditheko Mototo, 4. Cyril Nzama, 29. Moketi Tsotetsi, 35. Jonathan Quartey, 8. Tinashe Nengomasha, 27. Gerald Sibeko, 26. Thuso Phala, 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala, 17. Shaun Bartlett, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza
Substitutes: 1. Markus Bocsker, 2. Jimmy Tau, 7. Kaizer Motaung Junior, 22. Mandla Masango, 18. Arthur Zwane, 6. Fabian McCarthy, 13. David Obua
Coach: Muhsin Ertugral
Assistant Coach: Fani Madida
Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker
Match Officials:
Referee: Mahlomola Jonas Nhlapho
Assistant 1: Enoch Molefe
Assistant 2: Fikile Mtintsilana
4th Official: Robert Sithole
Match Commissioner: Phil Masemola