Kaizer Chiefs visit Chippa United for Wednesday’s Betway Premiership match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but injury concerns still linger in their camp.
It will be the Soweto giants’ penultimate match of 2025 as they push to end the year on a high. They are in with a chance of winning the PSL title and are currently fourth on the table, six points behind leaders Orlando Pirates, who have played a game more.
What could now make Chiefs’ trip to Gqeberha tricky is that they meet troubled Chilli Boys, who are at the foot of the table and desperate to escape relegation. While Chiefs have been grappling with a concerning injury situation in recent matches, they have fresh worries ahead of the Chippa game.
Gaston Sirino and defender Bradley Cross were forced out of last Saturday’s CAF Confederation Cup clash with Zamalek due to injuries. They were both pulled out in the first half, going out in the first 20 minutes.
That adds to worries about Glody Lilepo, Aden McCarthy, Rushwin Dortley and Fiacre Ntwari, who are injured.
WHAT CHIEFS SAY ABOUT SIRINO AND CROSS
“Chiefs’ technical team will work closely with the medical staff to assess the extent of injuries to Gaston Sirino and Bradley Cross, who were both forced off within the opening 15 minutes of the Zamalek match,” Amakhosi announced.
In their last two Confederation Cup games against Al Masry and Zamalek, which they lost 2-1 and drew 1-1 respectively, Dillan Solomons has been a top performer.
The right back scored away in Egypt against Al Masry before forcing Zamalek goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi to commit a howler by turning his effort into the back of the net and saving the day for Chiefs.
“I’m looking forward to the Chippa game. Obviously, coming off a fair result in the CAF Confederation Cup, we want to refocus on the league,” said Solomons.
“We know what type of team Chippa is, and it won’t be an easy game away from home, but our intention is to pick up maximum points by making sure we execute what we have to do.
“Because of the short turnaround between games, we haven’t had much time to focus on Chippa, so sticking to our own processes will be crucial to getting a positive result.”
CHIEFS TAKING CONFED CUP LESSONS INTO THE PSL
The visit to Chippa will be Chiefs’ first PSL match since beating Orbit College 4-1 on November 4. A winless run followed that in Africa, but Solomons takes those setbacks as vital lessons.
“The CAF games have been a learning experience as we have a number of players getting their first taste of continental football,” the former Moroka Swallows man said.
“It has been tough, but we’ll take the results and move on with the determination to improve when the competition resumes next year.”
“Personally, it has been a good few months for me. I am so happy to be involved now and to help contribute to the team. Scoring a goal was wonderful, but I like getting assists, which I take pride in more.
“I really want to contribute even more, hopefully in the next two games before the break for the AFCON tournament.”
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