Ex-Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns star Teko Modise insists that Kaizer Chiefs will play a ‘kingmaker’ role in the title race between his former clubs this May.
Both Sundowns and Pirates are set to battle Amakhosi in the final stretch of the season. Leaders Sundowns are on 56 points with seven games left, while second-placed Pirates have 55 points with six matches remaining.
The Sea Robbers will be home to Chiefs on Sunday, 26 April at the FNB Stadium in the Soweto Derby, before the Brazilians host the Glamour Boys on Wednesday, 6 May at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
According to Modise, Chiefs are the “X-factor” in the destination of the league trophy. Amakhosi currently sit third on the log—10 points adrift of rivals Pirates—but their five-game winning streak has made them a formidable force.
The legendary midfielder, who lifted the title with Masandawana in the 2013/14 and 2015/16 seasons, suggests that Chiefs’ upcoming fixtures against the title contenders will shape the final standings.
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“I see it going to the penultimate match of the season. Kaizer Chiefs are in between anyone who has to lift the trophy, because they don’t need to be on form. They don’t need to play well to cause an upset; they just need to disrupt what is happening right now,” Modise said on the Car Wash 2.0 podcast.
“You have Sundowns that have just won 10 games in a row, but still, they are only a point ahead [of Pirates]. It just shows you how stiff the competition is. You might look at the fixtures and, with all due respect, you can say Pirates can do a double there, Sundowns can do a double there [both over Chiefs in the league].
“That on its own is an incentive. Players will be hyped up. Those are games footballers want to play. I think for the first time in a long time, we see Chiefs as an important fixture, from the feeling of how the fans feel, and from a title-deciding factor on both sides, for Pirates and Sundowns.
“It will be decided before the last day. I don’t see Pirates at Orbit [College FC] being the game they need to win for the title,” Modise added.
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