“At some point, you are going to have to save energy for the most important game, which is the final,” says the former Chiefs captain.
With Kaizer Chiefs fighting to finish in the top eight and also looking to win the Nedbank Cup, club legend Itumeleng Khune has urged his former team to prioritise winning the season-ending competition.
Amakhosi will face archrivals Orlando Pirates in the final of the Nedbank Cup after beating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in a semifinal clash played at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium last Sunday.
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They are currently sitting eighth in the Betway Premiership standings, but only one point above ninth-placed Chippa United, whom they meet at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday.
After the Chilli Boys game, Chiefs will face Marumo Gallants before meeting Pirates in back-to-back Soweto derbies – a Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on 3 May, and then the Nedbank Cup final at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 10 May.
‘Chiefs must save energy for final’
Khune says even though finishing well in the league is important, Chiefs must put all their efforts into trying to end the club’s nine-year trophy drought.
“They need to prioritise by saying, ‘Are we able to lose points in the league and save energy for the final on the 10th [of May], where we are going to win R10 million [R7 million] and win a trophy for the first time in nine years?’” said Khune during a Nedbank Sport X Space session this week.
“At some point, you are going to have to save energy for the most important game, which is the final. So, they’re going to have to prioritise and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to go easy even if we play for a draw in the league, knowing we are keeping our place in the top eight.’
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“They must go to the final and give their all to break the nine-year curse, where they have not won a trophy. Because they’re already the final, they have already qualified for the CAF competition [the Confederation Cup], and that will also be a more of a confidence booster,” added Khune.
