There are plenty of set-piece takers at Chiefs – Middendorp
Lebogang Manyama has been Kaizer Chiefs’ set-piece specialists this season with almost half of his many assists coming from either a corner kick or free-kick.
Lebogang Manyama of Kaizer Chiefs celebrates goal (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
But with Amakhosi going into two title deciders in both the Absa Premiership and Nedbank Cup, Manyama is sitting on three yellow cards.
READ: Pitch conditions force Chiefs to play ugly – Cardoso
This means if he gets booked in Saturday’s Ke Yona Last 16 match at Makhulong Stadium where they meet Highlands Park, it would mean he misses next weekend important Premiership tie against old rivals Orlando Pirates.
Asked how he would do if Manyama, who has been pivotal in his team’s successes this season, is booked, Amakhosi coach Ernst Middendorp said he had other players who could step up.
“George (Maluleka) will do the execution. Bernard Parker will do it and we have Reeve (Frosler) who can do the execution,” said Middendorp who made it clear that he would play Manyama along with Daniel Cardoso and Frosler who were walking a Soweto derby suspension tightrope.
“It is not guaranteed that if you save some players you will achieve (something) towards the end of the season if you rely on certain moments with one player,” said Middendorp.
The German mentor said he was happy that he had no injury concerns for now and the players who had recently recovered were doing well.
“There are no injury concerns. The players who have come out of injury are getting better and better… Bruce Bvuma has been outstanding in terms of his goalkeeping from what we see in training. We are very happy about it. Other players like Akumu are coming more and more into our routine and knowing what’s expected and what he has to deliver.
“Players like Reeve and Khama who have come out of a longer (injury) break are being treated individually and getting individual periodisation. They need a little more time. I said it already that it was risky for us to play him (Khama) for 90 minutes but we gave him an extra day of recovery. I am very happy that Khama was able to handle it although it was not planned to be like that,” he explained.
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