Cape Town City host wounded Chiefs

Cape Town City play host to a wounded Kaizer Chiefs outfit at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday evening, as the Citizens aim to continue their perfect start to the 2017-18 Absa Premiership season.

Kick-off is at 7:30pm CAT.

Benni McCarthy’s troops boast a hundred percent record across the league and MTN8, with successive Premiership victories (1-0 vs Bidvest Wits and 3-1 vs Platinum Stars), topped by the club reaching their first ever Top 8 final.

The Citizens beat the Clever Boys for a third time in the space of a couple of weeks this past weekend as McCarthy’s dream start at the reins of the Mother City club continued.

As for the Amakhosi, the Soweto giants disappointing form has carried into the new season with a 1-1 draw away to Bloemfontein Celtic followed by a 2-1 loss to SuperSport United.

Chiefs will be without regular starters Erick Mathoho (suspended), Tsepo Masilela (injured) and Ramahlwe Mphahlele (injured) - but could welcome back influential goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

Possible starting XIs

Cape Town City: Walters; Seedat, Fielies, Johannes, Mkhize - Putsche, Modise, Nodada - Lakay, Patosi, Majoro

Kaizer Chiefs: Khune; Cardoso,Gordinho,Ngezana, Zulu - Katsande,Ekstein, Maluleka - Tshabalala, Parker, Paez

Head-to-Head

ALL LEAGUE RESULTS

Season Result Scorers

2016/17 Chiefs 1-1 CTC Katsande; Sim

2016/17 CTC 3-2 Chiefs Ngoma, Manyama, Moseamedi; Tshabalala, Molangoane

LEAGUE RECORD (since 2016/17)

Home

P W D L GF GA

CTC 1 1 0 0 3 2

Chiefs 1 0 1 0 1 1

Away

P W D L GF GA

CTC 1 0 1 0 1 1

Chiefs 1 0 0 1 2 3

Total

P W D L GF GA

CTC 2 1 1 0 4 3

Chiefs 2 0 1 1 3 4

What they said

Cape Town City head coach Benni McCarthy:

“Once a winner always a winner my friend. You do not lose that,” said McCarthy.

“That is what I have installed in these guys [at Cape Town City] and you see now‚ five games‚ five tests and we have passed all five and we have another couple to come.

“So we will see what happens (in our next game against Kaizer Chiefs). They had better come prepared for a fight.

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Steve Komphela following their loss to Matsatsantsa:

You can’t give up, there’s no way. In the game of football, you happen to get red cards and you have to deal with it,” said Komphela.

“There was energy, you could see that, and I’m sure we had about two, three chances, could have been a draw but we lost it. Such a pity we lost 'Tower' far too early in the match, but you have to deal with it.

“These are setbacks that you get and you must deal with it, no option. We have to now focus on our next task.”

Key Players:

Lehlohonolo Majoro has been in inspired form and there is no doubt that he will be eager to prove a point against his former employers. Along with new captain Robyn Johannes, midfielder Roland Putsche and goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters, the Citizens have a very strong spine.

Without the services of several defensive stalwarts, Chiefs will look to Khune and Lorenzo Gordinho to keep an attacking City team at arms length. Siphiwe Tshabalala will have to shine if the Glamour Boys are to stand any chance.