Cape Town — Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Kaizer Chiefs' two-time Premiership winner, has warned his teammates of the threat posed by the seasoned Zimbabwean defender Willard Katsande ahead of Saturday's clash against Sekhukhune United at Emirates Airline Park.
Katsande, during his 10-year stint at Chiefs, played well over 300 games and was for many seasons a fan favourite. He earned the nickname 'Salt and Vinegar' because of his potent displays, and his first name was a reminder of a brand of potato crisps (Willards).
Mphahlele himself has become a stalwart after more than 100 games for Chiefs, and he has seen how well Katsande has fitted into the line-up of the Premiership debutants Sekhukhune. Chiefs defeated Sekhukhune in their first-round meeting last December although the result could be undone because of an upcoming disciplinary hearing.
"Obviously, they have the likes of Katsande, who knows the club very well," said Mphahlele. "He will probably give them the inside information.
"They have a very experienced team, and they are a tough team. They play at a very high pace.
"We have to be strong physically and we have to be prepared to run more than them.
"We know that we will be playing away, and they will be looking to put us under pressure.
"We are confident that we can go there and get a positive result. We have watched a few of their videos. Our coach has also told us a bit about their strengths and weaknesses.
"We are planning for the game, and we are looking to go to Ellis Park and get a positive result.
"It is a very difficult team to play against and they have done well. We have to be at our best to get the maximum points there."
Meanwhile, Chiefs' off-the-field woes continue after they recently lost both rescheduled matches against Cape Town City and Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Over the next few days, they will appear twice before the PSL's disciplinary committee to face two charges.
On Thursday, PSL Prosecutor Zola Majavu confirmed the dates for Chiefs' appearances.
His statement read: 'Kaizer Chiefs will appear before the PSL DC on 17 May at 16:00.
'This is a continuation of the matter that was previously on the roll, which I withdrew after the arbitrator's award under the hand of Advocate Nazir Cassiem SC had found that Chiefs were justified in not fulfilling those fixtures due to an act of God, with specific reference to the Covid situation.
'The PSL executive committee elected to challenge that outcome and took it on review. In the end, I decided to not proceed further with that case, but rather to await the outcome of that review in the High Court.
'I can now confirm that the review in the High Court was finalized on 10 May. I can confirm that the award of Advocate Cassim SC was reviewed and set aside.
'In the result, the referral to arbitration was equally set aside. I have decided to proceed with the case. Kaizer Chiefs must still come before the DC and account for their non-fulfilment of those fixtures.
'Kaizer Chiefs Football Club will be appearing before the PSL DC tomorrow [13 May] to answer to charges of fielding defaulters Aden McCarthy and Mduduzi Shabalala in a match Sekhukhune.
'This matter was previously postponed at the request of Kaizer Chiefs.'
IOL Sport