Peterson, Mthethwa and Du Preez state their cases
Nasreddine Nabi gave opportunities to several, up to now, fringe players in the 2-1 Betway Premiership win over Richards Bay. Brandon Peterson, Sibongiseni Mthethwa, Pule Mmodi and Ashley Du Preez all started a match for the first time this season.
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Peterson’s selection was because of an injury to Rwandan goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari. But he had also, like Mthethwa and Mmodi, impressed in a friendly tournament in Gqeberha during the international break.
And the Chiefs ‘keeper had a solid game, though Richards Bay were also toothless in attack. Mthethwa did well in defensive midfield too. Her has been given another life at Chiefs after it seemed he was surplus to requirements. And Du Preez chipped in with a superbly-taken goal. He showed he can be a rival to Ranga Chivaviro for a permanent spot at the head of the attack.
Only Mmodi, of the four, didn’t really raise his hand. Gaston Sirino is surely set to return sooner rather than later.
Chiefs need to watch their discipline
Kaizer Chiefs managed to beat Richards Bay despite spending almost half the game with ten men on the pitch. Reeve Frosler lunged into a clumsy challenge early in the game and another just minutes into the second half. He was sent off by referee Cedric Muvhali.
Frosler will now serve a two-game ban. That is the same length of ban that central defender Inacio Miguel is halfway through, after his red card against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Miguel had returned for the Sundowns game after serving another one match ban for four yellow cards early in the season.
Chiefs will certainly not find most opponents as toothless as Richards Bay if they keep getting in the referees’ bad books.
Truter’s future has to be under threat
Brandon Truter hit out at his players after Richards Bay’s defeat to Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday. It is never a great look for a coach when they start publicly blaming their players for their side’s misfortunes. Often, it signals the end. Whether you should be fired or not, it is almost always over when you ‘lose the dressing room’.
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Truter was hired amid some fanfare ahead of the new season, but after an opening win over TS Galaxy, his side have not won another Betway Premiership match. They did scrap their way into the semifinals of the Carling Knockout, but lost to the eventual winners Magesi FC
Richards Bay are simply not enough of an attacking threat to survive in this league at the moment. Even when Chiefs went down to ten men, it never really looked like they would get back in the game.
