Kaizer Chiefs defender Aden McCarthy has played down what is at stake for Amakhosi when they host Chippa United at Moses Mabhida Stadium for their final Betway Premiership match of the season on Saturday.
The Soweto giants wrap up their campaign knowing they are already guaranteed third spot even if they lose to the Chilli Boys. Finishing the season in position three ensures they return to participate in the CAF Confederation Cup next season.
That eases pressure on Amakhosi going into Saturday’s match. Ending the season in the top three also atones for missing out on the Carling Knockout and the Confederation Cup, as well as failing to defend their Nedbank Cup title.
Highlighting how Amakhosi have no pressure in this trip to Durban, they are not worried that they go into the match without the suspended attacking duo of Glody Lilepo and Flavio da Silva. It is a match they would be playing for prestige and to close the season on a high note.
‘KAIZER CHIEFS DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CHIPPA’: MCCARTHY
Chippa recently parted ways with coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi, and Brandon Truter has been called in to help in their last match of the season. The Chilli Boys will be out to avoid dropping from position 13 to 15, which would see them participating in the PSL Promotional/Relegation playoffs.
Truter is their seventh coach this season, having started with Sinethemba Badela, before some chopping and changing, with the likes of Musa Nyatama, Morgan Mammila, Luc Eymael, Vilakazi and Nkosohlanga Dikeni taking turns to lead their bench.
While McCarthy says they want to sign off the season on a high, he says there is not much to play for and does not know what their Gqeberha-based opponents have in store for them.
“We are going into this weekend’s game just like any other game, I would say, although there is nothing to really play for. But we are going for three points,” said McCarthy while addressing the media at the Kaizer Chiefs Village in Naturena on Thursday.
“It’s not a secret, it’s not a joke or whatever. We want the three points, and we want to end this season with 57 points.
“We know that Chippa and every other team in the league can be dangerous in their own ways, and we have done our analysis here and there. But, as it was mentioned earlier, there is a new coach at Chippa for this game coming up. So, we don’t know what to expect, but I say we are ready to deal with whatever comes our way.”
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