CHIEFS’ CHANCE TO CUT THE GAP ON SUNDOWNS

KAIZER Chiefs will look to continue their new-found momentum when they host Cape Town City in a Premiership showdown at FNB Stadium tomorrow.

Chiefs have been a revitalised team in recent weeks, having finally been able to transfer coach Stuart Baxter’s training-ground instructions to their matches.

An indifferent start to the season has been put behind them and Amakhosi have now won four of their last five matches.

This upsurge in results has seen Chiefs skyrocket up the Premiership standings into second place. However, the stumble out of the blocks has left them with plenty of work if they harbour any ambitions of chasing down league-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

The four-time defending champions have an eight-point advantage, with a game in hand, over their nearest rivals. Sundowns can even afford a couple of slipups and they will still be in a commanding position, although they do face a hectic run of fixtures over the coming weeks.

Chiefs, and the rest of the chasing pack, will hope that Sundowns’ fixture congestion could provide some form of hope in their bid to close the gap.

Baxter will, though, know that regardless of how Sundowns perform in their matches, it is his team that will need to take care of their own business if they are to stand the slimmest of title hopes.

Chiefs have the playing personnel to mount a championship challenge, particularly now that new acquisitions such as Keagan Dolly and Cole Alexander have been blended into the squad with regulars such as Khama Billiat and Bernard Parker.

Alexander won’t though be available for the clash against City due him still having to serve the last of his two-game ban following his red card against AmaZulu last week.

But Chiefs will at least be able to welcome back highly-talented youngster Njabulo Blom from suspension.

City will hope to fulfil their own desires tomorrow, especially since they are in the midst of a threegame winless run that has seen Eric Tinkler’s team drop out of the top eight.

They are certainly a better team than their log position suggests, and Chiefs will know that, after City pushed Sundowns to the wire in both the MTN8 final and league contests recently.

Equally, Chiefs and City have enjoyed battle royales over the years, especially during the early period after the Cape Town club was launched in 2016.

Chiefs have dominated the recent encounters though with eight wins out of the 14 clashes, while City have triumphed in four. There were two draws.

Coach Baxter will be hoping for victory tomorrow at the former 2010 World Cup final venue if Chiefs are serious about hunting down Sundowns.