Johannesburg - It’s been eight years since Siphiwe Tshabalala left Free State Stars, and the Amakhosi skipper still has a soft spot for the team that put him in the limelight.
After all, it was at Stars where he made his mark, getting his first national call up while the club were still playing in the National First Division (NFD).
“Free State Stars gave me an opportunity to shine and show what I can do. It is the team where I established myself. I am truly thankful and I will be forever grateful to them. But now I am at Kaizer Chiefs. This is my home; I have been here for eight years. So for me it is business as usual, but I will always have respect for Free State Stars,” Tshabalala said.
Shabba and Chiefs host Stars at the FNB Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 8.15pm).
Unlike in their league opener when they played to a goalless draw with Chippa United, a side easily dismantled 4-1 by their nemesis Orlando Pirates, who had a sloppy start to the season with a 1-0 loss to Supersport United, Chiefs want their strikers to be lethal.
With Chiefs yet to register maximum points in this campaign, Tshabalala believes teams want a win over Chiefs, and the league has toughened up with all the clubs having something to play for this campaign.
“They want to stop the train.
“They know what the team is capable of and they also want to win the league. It is going to be a battle, and some want to be in the top three, while others will want to avoid relegation. So I am anticipating a tough season.
“Challenges are good for everyone. It helps us grow.
“I think teams have beefed up their personnel.
“Pirates have a strong team, Sundowns have a strong team. SuperSport and Wits have a spring in their step.
“So it is not only three teams that one needs to look at. It shows the standard of our league and strength of the PSL has grown,” Tshabalala said.
Tshabalala will not be the only one at Chiefs looking forward to a “reunion” with the Free State outfit.
His coach, Steve Komphela, will also be facing a team he had two spells with between 2008 and 2013.
“It will also be good for the coach to help the team beat his former club.
“It will be his first home game against Stars. We will work hard and do well, hopefully to win it for him.”
Fixtures
Saturday: University of Pretoria v Polokwane City (Tuks Stadium, 3pm); Mamelodi Sundowns v Bidvest Wits (Lucas Moripe Stadium, 3pm); Mpumalanga Black Aces v SuperSport United (Mbombela Stadium, 6pm); Kaizer Chiefs v Free State Stars (FNB Stadium, 8.15pm); Ajax Cape Town v Maritzburg United (Cape Town Stadium, 8:15pm)
Sunday: Jomo Cosmos v Golden Arrows (Olen Park, 3pm); Bloemfontein Celtic v Platinum Stars (Goble Park, 3pm)
Saturday Star