Johannesburg - In the first half of last season when the Kaizer Chiefs juggernaut was running with such precision it appeared that no-one could stop them, Polokwane City then managed to do just that - halt Amakhosi’s run of victories.
Kosta Papic’s team were only the second team - after Moroka Swallows - to steal a point from Chiefs as they held them goalless at Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium.
A repeat of that result will be most welcome on Tuesday night as the Limpopo outfit look to rid themselves of their reputation as the league’s most defensively inept outfit.
Just two matches into the new season and City have already leaked in five goals - their 3-0 defeat by University of Pretoria at the weekend coming after they beat Bloemfontein Celtic 3-2 in their season opener.
But in Chiefs they meet a team that will be high on confidence, Amakhosi having smashed four past Free State Stars on Saturday night.
And just as was the case under Stuart Baxter last season, the defending league champions once again have goals coming from all over the field - with Robert Sankara, George Lebese, Liberty Chakoroma and Siphiwe Tshabalala having contributed to the victory at the weekend.
They scored four against City in the second round and indications are that they can repeat the dose on Tuesday night.
But they will not find City willing to just let them come to the Limpopo capital and pick up the points. For one, Papic’s team will be keen to get back to winning ways and will stop at nothing to achieve that.
In Punch Masenamela they have a former Chiefs man who is both defensively adept and a big threat when he makes those trademark forays of his up the left flank.
He is likely to ensure that Siboniso Gaxa’s attacks are limited while he will threaten the Chiefs goal with his own dangerous crosses into the box.
It is Jabulani Maluleke, however, that Chiefs will have to be most wary of if they are not to come a cropper on Tuesday night. The City skipper is arguably one of the most underrated players in the local game, Maluleke having dished out consistent performance season-in and season-out for every club he has played for.
At City he has blossomed as he is allowed the freedom of the park and that has seen him play the role of fetcher, carrier and distributor with excellence as he dictates how the team plays.
But it is the fact he also contributes goals that makes him such a key member of City. He scored this season’s first goal and will be keen to add another. He is particularly deadly on set-pieces and the likes of Willard Katsande, Siyanda Xulu and Erick Mathoho will do well not to concede fouls in front of their box lest Chiefs are made to pay.
Yet if City appear a one-man team of sorts, Chiefs are the direct opposite - with anyone who puts on the famous gold and black strip able to turn the game in their side’s favour.
Reneilwe Letsholonyane has what it takes to nullify whatever threat Maluleke brings and will be ably assisted by both Lebese and Tshabalala.
Whichever way this match goes though, the one thing that is certain is that it will be an open encounter - after all any game involving City always is. And under Steve Komphela, Chiefs are no longer waiting to pounce on their opposition in the transition; they rather go at them directly.
In the other matches on Tuesday night, Mpumalanga Black Aces welcome Mamelodi Sundowns to Mbombela Stadium while Chippa United are at home to University of Pretoria.
The Star