Will it be Kaizer Chiefs or Mamelodi Sundowns marching into the Carling Knockout semi-finals tonight?
CARLING KNOCKOUT: KAIZER CHIEFS VS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Following wins over SuperSport United and Golden Arrows in the last 16, the two Gauteng giants meet in the final eight stage tonight.
The match will kick off at 18:00 from the FNB Stadium.
According to DStv, the game will be live on SuperSport 202.
Meanwhile, Sundowns are favourites to beat Kaizer Chiefs after winning the Betway Premiership battle 2-1 back in September.
KAIZER CHIEFS CONFIRM EDSON CASTILLO NEWS
Kaizer Chiefs announced the dreaded news on Edson Castillo last week. Here’s coach Nasreddine Nabi’s reaction.
Following a hard tackle from SuperSport United’s Bilal Baloyi last weekend, Amakhosi midfielder Castillo suffered a fractured fibula that will rule him out until March 2025.
Full statement from Kaizer Chiefs:
“It is with great dismay that we announce that Edson Castillo will be sidelined for a period of four to five months due to a fractured fibula sustained during the match against SuperSport United on Saturday evening in Polokwane. The serious injury occurred in the first half, as a result of a vicious tackle on him inside the opponents’ 18-yard box.
“In the aftermath of the tackle, our head coach, Nasreddine Nabi expressed his concern for player safety and was subsequently issued with a yellow card for his impassioned plea to the officials to prioritise the protection of the players.
“The Club stands firmly behind Edson during this challenging time. We are committed to providing him with the necessary support and resources as he undergoes surgery and embarks on his rehabilitation journey. Our thoughts are with Edson as he focuses on his recovery, and we look forward to seeing him back on the field stronger than ever.
“Further updates will be provided as they become available. We appreciate the continued support from our supporters and the football community.”
NASREDDINE NABI MESSAGE
Speaking to the media before facing Mamelodi Sundowns this week, coach Nabi has sent a heartfelt message of support to Castillo’s family.
“We want to express our deepest support for him, his family, his wife and his kids for the attack on him,” Nabi said at the pre-match conference.
” At Kaizer Chiefs, we believe that we should have done enough to prevent those types of attacks.
“We want to make people aware that one of the rules of football is to protect the health of our players on the field, not only from Kaizer Chiefs but any player on the field.
“I feel like I didn’t do enough to raise my voice against that action, which even resulted in a foul against us that day. With that being said, we truly support him with all our hearts in these difficult times,” he concluded.
