Kaizer Chiefs are eager to put the empty stadium blues behind them after dropping two valuable points against Chippa United at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
The match was the last of Chiefs’ two games played behind closed doors at the Durban arena, following punishment from the Premier Soccer League after crowd violence in a Nedbank Cup semifinal defeat to Free State Stars last season.
“I am glad this game was the last of playing in an empty stadium,” said coach Giovanni Solinas about the absence of supporters at Moses Mabhida.
“Our supporters are a big factor. They help the players raise their game and play at a high tempo. We missed them here tonight but there’s nothing we could do about it.”
“I am disappointed with the result,” admitted Solinas, “although we faced a Chippa United that did well and, as a result, was always going to be difficult to beat.
"We have played three games in six days. We tried to rotate some players, but you can’t make too many changes to the team.”
Chiefs advanced last Sunday to the semifinals of the Telkom Knockout Cup after beating SuperSport United, beating Black Leopards in midweek and collecting a point against Chippa United on Saturday, all in the space of six days.
“We are protecting some players, as they are not fully match-fit,” said Solinas, while talking about Dax Andrianarimanana, who started against Leopards but didn’t feature against Chippa.
“Remember, Dax arrived at the club carrying a niggling injury. He is getting there, but it will take a bit of time to catch up with the rest of the team.”
“We will use the upcoming Fifa break to prepare the team for this clash,” Solinas remarked. “We hope that Manyama and Parker will return to full fitness during the period to add firepower in our offensive play.”
“It is a positive that we didn’t lose this match,” the coach concluded about the goalless draw against Chippa United. “A loss would have had a negative impact on the team before the Telkom Knockout semifinal. I’m also happy we didn’t concede a goal.”
Amakhosi’s next match will the Telkom semifinal against Orlando Pirates at an already sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on November 24 (start at 3 pm).