Former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana Reneilwe Letsholonyane thinks Kaizer Chiefs have a chance to beat Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend.
Image: Omar Torres / AFP
Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane remains optimistic about Amakhosi’s chances against Mamelodi Sundowns in their Betway Premiership match on Saturday despite the widening gap between the two South African football giants.
The eighth-placed Chiefs come into the match trailing Sundowns by a mammoth 26 points after a rollercoaster campaign thus far in head coach Nasreddine Nabi’s first season in charge.
Sundowns, on the other hand, consolidated their place atop the Betway Premiership standings with a 4-2 win over Sekhukune United on Wednesday night. The defending champions are currently 15 points ahead of the nearest rivals Orlando Pirates, although they have played four more games than the Buccaneers.
However, Letsholonyane, who donned the Chiefs jersey with distinction during his playing days, insists that anything is possible despite the gulf in class and points between Sundowns and Chiefs. The former Bafana Bafana midfielder believes Amakhosi could grab a shock result in this highly-anticipated encounter.
“It is a very difficult game for Chiefs to play,” he acknowledged in an interview with Showmax. “Sundowns are on a high, having won their last two games.
“Chiefs haven’t had good results, but on Saturday that will have a little to do with that game. A team that creates and uses more of their chances will win the match.”
“Chiefs can get something out of this game, especially since people are expecting them to lose this game. They just need to remain calm, do what the coach tells them to do, work extremely hard and just be in the moment,” he added.
Letsholonyane also addressed the inconsistencies that have marred Chiefs this season, highlighting the challenges posed by a new technical team.
Chiefs have 25 points from their 18 league matches, with seven wins and seven defeats to go with four draws. After a 1-0 league win over Stellenbosch FC and a 3-0 win over Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup, they went down 4-1 to SuperSport United in the previous Premiership encounter.
“There’s a lot of inconsistency from Chiefs, and having a whole new technical team hasn’t made it easy, so they will need more time to get to the level of consistency,” “Yeye” said. “But that doesn’t mean they can’t hurt Sundowns on the day.”
Understanding the coach's strategy will be crucial for the players, he noted, with Letsholonyane suggesting that time working with the new tactical approach could yield positive results in the long run.
Yet, while Chiefs grapple with their ups and downs, Sundowns have managed to maintain their standing at the top of the league.
“They are doing well,” Letsholonyane remarked, “Probably not as good as people expected, but there’s been a change in the technical team there too. So they are doing okay.”
* The game, which takes place on Saturday, March 1, at the Lucas Moripe Stadium at 3.30pm, will be shown live on Showmax Premier League.
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