Royal Eagles are unfazed by the return of Kaizer Chiefs star forward, Khama Billiat.
The GladAfrica Championship side will entertain the Glamour Boys in the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup at FNB Stadium at 6pm tomorrow.
Billiat is yet to feature for Amakhosi in 2020 due to injury. At the start of the week, Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp confirmed that Billiat is back at training and is likely to unleash him against Eagles.
The return of Billiat will strengthen Amakhosi’s attack and make them more dangerous. But Phuthi Mohafe, who is steering the ship at Eagles, is not worried.
“Fortunately with Billiat you know that he plays one way. His style of play is to receive the ball behind the defence. So, you need to cut the supply. If we can’t cut the supply from Lebogang Manyama, then we will be dead meat. So, we will cut the supply from the midfield so that he doesn’t hurt us,” Mohafe told journalists at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban yesterday.
Chiefs are in the form of their life this season. They are at the summit of the table and nine points clear. On the other hand, Eagles are fighting to stay afloat in GladAfrica. They are at the foot of the 16-team table.
“We will be playing Kaizer Chiefs, a team that is on fire. We are playing a team that is at the summit of the log and we are at the foot of our log standings and you will ask how is he going to do it? How can you beat that team when you are struggling with your own league? But people forget that we will be playing a cup match. Nedbank Cup is more like the FA Cup in England. Everyone showcases what he is capable of. Players want to win contracts of the big teams,” he added.
Chiefs came close last season but succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of TS Galaxy in the final at Moses Mabhida. With the form they are in they will be out to win it this time around. Champions TS Galaxy were muscled out of this year’s competition by Chippa United on Wednesday night.
Mohafe said he has prepared his team well to counter Amakhosi.
“The preparation went well. We don’t have any injuries. We are just preparing on how Chiefs are playing. We don’t need to go there and beat Chiefs and then forget what is happening in our league but hopefully playing against them will motivate the players and we’ll return to form,” Mohafe said.
Chiefs have been ruthless in standard situations but Eagles are well aware of that.
“They are very deadly but you need to be aware of the supply. Is the supplier (Manyama) playing? If he is playing then that’s a question mark. Those deliveries that he puts in the box, we have to deal with them very well,” Mohafe explained.