Kaizer Chiefs will leave it all out on the pitch in their effort to overcome Royal AM in Sunday’s Nedbank Cup quarterfinal, according to coach, Arthur Zwane. The two teams meet in Chatsworth for a place in the last four of South Africa’s flagship knockout competition.
Zwane anticipates nothing less than a Battle Royale against a team that has posed problems for Amakhosi in the past, although Chiefs prevailed in the most recent encounter in the league.
“I think we all know we are playing against a team that has been very difficult to play, more especially for us in the past two seasons,” Zwane said at the pre-match press conference, “So we are not expecting an easy game and we are playing away from home. They won their last game, 3-1, and that alone tells you the depth they have in their squad and they will also want to progress to the next round of the competition.”
The match presents Chiefs with an opportunity to move a step closer towards a shot at the last trophy on offer this season, the significance of which is not lost on Zwane, who stated, “We are planning to go all out. We are not going to hold back because this is a perfect opportunity for us to go through.”
The coach maintains that plotting such an outcome requires meticulous attention to detail with regard to both his own team and the opposition.
“There are no easy games,” he said. “Whether you are playing against a big team or one of the so-called smaller teams. In actual fact, there are no longer any small teams. All the games are difficult and what is key is to plan accordingly and make sure you profile the opposition properly.”
Ina one-off cup tie there are no second chances and Zwane has been adamant in his call for his players to take better advantage of their opportunities.
“We don’t stop working hard. There are a lot of positives, as I have been saying. It is better to create chances (and not convert) than not create them at all. It gives us ne task to focus on, to become more clinical in front of goals. We will keep working on that aspect to ensure that we take our chances.” He said.
On the flip-side, Zwane has also been hard at work with his defensive unit to improve concentration and eliminate some of the unforced errors that have proven costly