IQRAAM RAYNERS. LUCAS RIBEIRO. PETER SHALULE. These are the frontmen Mamelodi Sundowns are set to put out for their clash against Kaizer Chiefs.
Rayners, Ribeiro and Shalulile are the deadliest trio in the Betway Premiership, having scored 24 goals of Sundowns’ 42 so far this season. And so given that they are set to ve unleashed for their league clash against Chiefs at home in Atteridgeville on Saturday, Amakhosi need to have their best rearguard.
That seems to be a lot of ask and cause for concern for Chiefs and their fans as the team hasn’t been sound defensively this season after conceding 27 goals across 31 matches.
To make things worse, they’ve already conceded four, unanswered, goals against Sundowns in the Carling Knockout last eight at home, FNB Stadium. And instead of improving from their defensive frailties since then, they have worsened. Chiefs were hammered 4-1 in the last match by SuperSport United at home.
90 + 5’| 🟥#CHI 1 : 4 #SSU
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) February 18, 2025
Full time score: (Lilepo 30’) Kaizer Chiefs 1 : 4 SuperSport United (Nurkovic 3’, Saile 32’, Lungu 63’, Ndlovu 83’)#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #BetwayPrem pic.twitter.com/OBcgIRWNPL
Their shortcomings could worsen when they come up against a Sundowns team that has scored 30 goals across 12 matches in all competitions this year, including nine in the last three.
Sure, Bruce Bvuma might be the man who’s conceding the goals between the sticks, but the team’s defensive woes run deeper than his goalkeeping abilities. Chiefs recently lost versatile defender Thatayone Ditlhokwe after he moved to Libya based side Al-Ittihad two weeks ago on an undisclosed fee.
Ditlhokwe had a slow start under coach Nasreddine Nabi this season. As such, rumours were rife that he was on the transfer list. But when suitors didn’t come knocking for his services in winter, the Botswana national team captain worked his way into the team, playing as either a left-back or left centre-back.
He has since left a huge void. As a result, left back Bradley Cross who was signed from Golden Arrows in winter has struggled at the club since his arrival.
Cross was completely out of sorts against SuperSport United so much so that the first two goals they conceded came directly from his side and blunder respectively.
Nabi has stated that they need a specialist at left, and Cross unfortunately doesn’t cut the mustard. A feat that proved that he wasn’t signed by him, but the club from Arrows. Nabi has also been inconsistent with his selection for the right back position, juggling duties between Reeve Frosler and Njabulo Blom respectively.
The latter was expected to impress given that he’s on loan from MLS side St. Louis City, but it’s, in fact, Frosler who had brought somewhat of impressive performance.
Frosler, albeit being the better of the two at most, has struggled with consistency when he must track back and cover. A feat that should be unlikely of a player whose primary role is to defend.
Sure, centre-back duo Rushwin Dortley and Inacio Miguel have been the team’s best buys this season, but the latter somewhat lacks discipline.
The no-nonsense taking defender was suspended three times in 10 games last year, including receiving back-to-back suspensions.
Dortley hasn’t run into much trouble with the laws of the game, but he’s, like any other player, not immune to eventualities such as an off day in the office or injuries. And so, Nabi must put most of his focus on his defence this week heading to the clash against the table-topping and the seven-time successive Sundowns.
Or else, he runs the risk of his team conceding a whooping number of goals against another Tshwane giant in their successive – and back-to-back – clash in the league.