Durban — AmaZulu will welcome a Chippa United side in disarray, and looking to begin their fight to move off the bottom of the league under new leadership, when the two sides meet at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday at 3pm.
The opening period of the DStv premiership has proven heavy on the personnel of a lot of teams as an unfamiliar fixture congestion begins to take its toll.
The KwaZulu-Natal club are one of a few sides blessed with an abundance of talent following their mass recruitment prior to the beginning of the 2022/2023 campaign.
Usuthu coach Brandon Truter will be forced to make a huge adjustment as he contends with the unavailability of two of his trusted men in Gabadinho Mhango and Abbubaker Mobara ahead of their clash against the Chilli Boys.
Truter expressed his confidence in having the requisite back-up on the bench.
"Gaba (Mhango) has been massive for us and we're gonna miss him but at the same time I have Dumisani Zuma, I have (Lehlohonolo) Majoro that can come in and do the business," he said.
"There's quality and there's depth up front for us and not forgetting the youth as well who might get an opportunity to pick their hands up and force themselves into the team."
Usuthu will line up against a Chippa side without recently departed coach Daine Klate in their dugout, with Morgan Mammila taking over as caretaker coach.
The Gqeberha-based side are rooted at the bottom of the standings following defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in midweek, a loss that evidently cost Klate his job.
Truter believes the unpredictable nature of their next opponents makes them a difficult prospect to break down, however his side are prepared for whatever they bring.
"Chilli Boys is a very difficult team to analyse and we know they're gonna come here and try to win at all costs following their defeat to Sundowns," said Truter
"We know what to expect from Chippa, they're team that likes to come very direct and they've been punishing teams with second balls and set plays so we know what to expect but we need to get our mentality right because if we go into it the same way we did against Arrows thinking we're gonna win, then we might have a problem."
IOL Sport