Kaizer Chiefs vs Cape Town City – our predictions

Phakaaathi’s Khaya Ndubane and Jonty Mark give their views on who will win this one, and why.

Why Sundowns will win (Khaya Ndubane, Online Content Manager)

Kaizer Chiefs are unbeaten in their last seven matches, registering four wins and three draws in the process. They last lost a league home match in September last year, when they went down 2-1 to Baroka.

Steve Komphela’s side also beat Cape Town City 2-0 away in Cape Town last September. Amakhosi are therefore favourites to win tonight’s encounter if statistics are anything to go by.

City might have scored two more goals than Chiefs, but they are leaking goals at the back. Benni McCarthy’s side has conceded 18 goals in 20 league matches, that’s almost a goal a match.

With Ryan Moon in scoring form, he will fancy his chances of finding the back of the net against the leaky City defence. Bernard Parker is also back from his long injury layoff and he marked his return to the Chiefs side with a goal against Golden Arrows in the Nedbank Cup, he too will be hoping to score again in this encounter.

And with City set to miss their captain Robyn Johannes through suspension, the Chiefs are attack is set to cause trouble for the make shift City centre back pairing.

Prediction: Kaizer Chiefs 2 Cape Town City 0

Why Chiefs will win (Jonty Mark, Phakaaathi Editor)

Kaizer Chiefs’ meeting with Cape Town City at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening is a game both side’s need to win if they are to maintain realistic league title ambitions.

Amakhosi and City are tied on 31 points, seven behind Absa Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, with ten games to go in the title race, and surely cannot afford to fall any further off the pace.

City owner John Comitis admitted as much this week to Phakaaathi, but there is certainly less pressure on the Cape Town side to win this game than there is on Amakhosi, and that is one element that I think will give Benni McCarthy’s side an advantage at FNB Stadium.

The demands on Steve Komphela to finally deliver some silverware in his third season as Chiefs coach grow more intense by the week, while for City, it is safe to say that a trophy for McCarthy in his first season would be a bonus more than anything else.

It will be interesting to see how both coaches go into this game, but my feeling is that it is more likely to be a cagey affair, with both Komphela and McCarthy rather defensive-minded coaches.

McCarthy’s has picked up many of his important wins this season on the back of a well-organised defence more than a flamboyant attack – it is no coincidence that seven of his side’s nine victories in the league have come via a 1-0 scoreline.

And City have still scored two more goals than Chiefs, whose goalscoring record is the joint third-worst in the entire table.

I think City will play firmly on the back foot on Saturday and force Chiefs to come out of their shell more than they are comfortable with, especially with the extra pressure on Amakhosi to notch the win. From this, one quickfire break on the counter will win the game for City , 1-0.

Prediction: Kaizer Chiefs 0 Cape Town City 1