Blow by blow: Cape Town City vs Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs will be looking to return to winning ways when they travel to face Cape Town City at Newlands Stadium on this evening.
Eric Mathoho of Kaizer Chiefs and Siphelele Mthembu of Cape Town City F.C. during the Mpumalanga Cultural Experience Cup match between Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City FC at Mbombela Stadium on July 28, 2018 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)
The game has been moved to Newlands Stadium because Cape Town Stadium does not have sufficient traction and has still not recovered from a Monster Truck event held there by the City of Cape Town.
It is the third City home game in a row that has had to be moved at late notice after their clash with Stellenbosch FC was moved to Athlone Stadium and with the MTN8 quarter-final against Polokwane City being moved to Newlands.
It led City chairman John Comitis in to questioning where the City of Cape Town’s priorities lie, rightly saying that it is a perfect example of how football continues to be neglected in the province.
Chiefs are currently top of the log with seven points from three matches and are as of yet unbeaten this season. A 3-2 victory over Highlands Park was followed by a 1-0 win over Black Leopards before Ernst Middendorp’s side drew 1-1 with Supersport United at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
New signing Samir Nurkovic is proving himself to be a good bit of business with his hold-up play, vision, aerial prowess and goalscoring ability having caused defences problems in all three matches the Serbian has started for the Glamour Boys.
Nurkovic linked up particularly well with Lebogang Manyama in the stalemate with Matsatsantsa and Middendorp is unlikely to change the formula. Indeed, it was Manyama who set up Nurkovic for his maiden PSL goal on the weekend.
The Citizens are themselves coming off the back of a 1-1 draw – with Mamelodi Sundowns at Lucas Moripe Stadium last Tuesday. Benni McCarthy’s side acquitted themselves very well in that encounter showing the type of bravery that hardly any teams do when playing at Chloorkop.
McCarthy’s side took the game to the Brazilians and could easily have come away with the three points. It will be interesting to see whether McCarthy continues to overload the midfield with Mpho Makola, Thato Mokeke and Abubaker Mobara, or whether he will sacrifice one of the trio for the more attacking Christofer David.
Either way it should make for an intriguing encounter as this fixture has a habit of serving up plenty of entertainment judging from past meetings between the sides.
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