Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas, anticipates a tough battle when they meet a fresher Chippa United side in their second Absa Premiership match behind closed doors at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban today (6pm kick-off).
Chiefs, who have played twice in the past six days, will be hoping to bag their third successive victory against Chippa, who last played two weeks ago.
This will hopefully be the Amakhosi faithful’s last banishment from stadium attendance this season after a first game behind closed doors in a 1-0 loss to Polokwane City.
“Chippa is very fresh and Chiefs is not,” Solinas said.
“In the last game they played against Sundowns they didn’t deserve to lose. Even Pitso (Mosimane, Mamelodi Sundowns coach) said that they pushed them in the second half.
"So they are a dangerous team, and it will be a difficult game for us. Even against Pirates in the Telkom Knockout they deserved to score.”
It’s been three months of mixed fortunes at Naturena under Solinas this season as his start with the team weren’t complementary of him as the suitable candidate to overturn their three-year-barren run.
However, after registering his first victory against Cape Town City he started to look calmer and in control as his rotation policy was also working in his favour.
But it’s now back to square one, as he’s only managed two wins, two draws and two losses in the last six matches.
“Kaizer Chiefs is a work in progress and we are not a perfect team.
"We make to learn from our mistakes and need to improve,” Solinas said.
Chiefs will be returning to the World Cup Stadium in just six days, after playing SuperSport United in their Telkom Knockout quarter-finals 1-0 win last Sunday.
However, in contrast to his first weeks in charge where he bemoaned fatigue due to poor results, the Italian tactician expects his team to put in the work week-in and out.
“The fatigue will come, but there’s no excuse,” Solinas said.
“We need to be prepared for the game and try to win. So, they’ll be no excuse of tiredness. I know it will be very difficult but we need the three points.”
Although they bagged the win in their league match against Leopards, their performance was far from satisfactory.
Solinas claimed that he’s a fan of good and attractive football that yields results, but if he has to dig deep for them, then so be it.
After the upcoming international break, Solinas and his troops will welcome arch-rivals Orlando Pirates to Mabhida for the Telkom Knockout semi-finals.
Hence, a victory this evening will be a huge morale boost going into that match, especially if they are to avenge their 2-1 defeat in the league on October 27.