The latest cards and suspensions update from the PSL has presented potential problems for Kaizer Chiefs with their upcoming three matches important in the chase for a first trophy in 10 years.
Smarting from a 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows suffered last weekend, Chiefs are next in action against Sekhukhune United at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday, with their next Betway Premiership encounter after that being the big Soweto Derby against arch-rivals Orlando Pirates on 1 February.
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Sandwiched in-between the two fixtures is a meeting with lower-tier Free Agents FC in the Nedbank Cup Last 32, potentially scheduled for the weekend of January 24-26.
The little headache facing head coach Nasreddine Nabi is that four of his charges – Mduduzi Shabalala, Yusuf Maart, Njabulo Blom, and Samkelo Zwane - are sitting on three yellow cards each, one away from a suspension.
That means, as it often happens in the Beautiful Game, to avoid any risks of being booked in the Nedbank Cup and therefore missing the derby, the above-mentioned quartet would have to be cautioned on Sunday, forego the Free Agents tie and start on a clean slate in the league's disciplinary records.
As team skipper, Maart has played in all 15 of the Glamour Boys' matches played in all competitions to date, and having scored what ranks among the best Soweto Derby goals of all-time in the first round of the 2022/23 season, will not want to miss out on the spectacle come next month.
Shabalala has also been pivotal for the side, notably netting a brace against Magesi FC as they trailed 2-0 to rescue a point, while he was also on target in a 1-0 win over Chippa United in late December, an effort that won him the PSL Goal of the Month for November/December.
Meanwhile, Blom was one of Chiefs' trusted soldiers in games against their old foes before he transferred to MLS side St Louis City in December 2022, and having blown hot and cold since his return, will be eager to be involved.
For Zwane, there is no better motivation than the fact his father, Eugene Zwane, put on the famous Black and White jersey of The Buccaneers during his playing days, though the youngster has seen minimal game-time so far this term.
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The risk, though, is that with one eye on the derby, the Naturena-based outfit might be a little weakened going into the match-up with Free Agents, who would be salivating at the prospect of bringing down a giant.
The Nedbank Cup also represents the most realistic chance of Chiefs winning silverware this season, having not qualified for the MTN8 and succumbing to Mamelodi Sundowns 4-0 in the quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout, whilst being far off in the league title race.