TS Galaxy captain expects a different Kaizer Chiefs this time around

For TS Galaxy captain Given Msimango, past results mean nothing. That is why the 23-year-old has urged his teammates to forget that they once upset Kaizer Chiefs by stealing the Nedbank Cup from right under their noses, beating them 1-0 in the final last year.

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“I think that is in the past now,” said Msimango as they prepare to meet Amakhosi for the first time in a DStv Premiership fixture since acquiring a top flight status. The two sides meet at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night, with kick-off set for 7.30pm.

“This is football. We are focusing on the present. There’s been a lot of changes since then. With the changes in the playing personnel, it will make the approach to the game very different. It is a positive and it is a very good thing for the team to have had that win against Chiefs but at the end of the day, it won’t matter. What will matter is the effort that the guys will put in the game,” added Msimango, who has been touted as one of the young players with a bright future in local football.

Msimango also knows how crucial a win will be in terms of giving them some confidence going forward.

“It will be a huge confident booster for the team (if we win). Playing against big teams like Chiefs will give us a huge base moving forward. It will help us stay motivated to do even more,” he said.

The Rockets have had a fairly good start to their campaign, getting a draw away at Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in their first game, then coming home to Mbombela Stadium and beating AmaZulu 1-0 last week. This sees Dan “Dance” Malesela’s side sitting in sixth place after two rounds of matches.

Msimango stressed the importance of keeping an unbeaten record as long as possible, but also understands that they will have to take it on the chin when the results don’t come.

“Keeping an unbeaten record will be a huge plus and positive for us. It will keep the guys motivated going into the next game. But it is not something we are focusing entirely on. But it is something that is keeping the guys motivated, to see how long we can keep it. The league we are competing in is very competitive. Anything can happen on any day. It is up to us to put our best effort in each and every game and make sure that we put ourselves in a good position on the log. We want to be as competitive as possible,” said the Brakpan-born defender.

Amakhosi’s Philani Zulu, meanwhile, believes they could be real competitors for the league title if they eliminate the small mistakes that have cost them in the four games they’ve played so far.

“From all the games that we have won, we need to take out all the positives and try to work on going into the following game,” said Zulu.

“We just need to have a bit of a bite up front. Even with our defending, we work hard at training and try our best to execute in the games. We just need to work on the little mistakes and little elements of our game and we will be a perfect team and be unstoppable,” said a confident Zulu.

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