Kaizer Chiefs insist they are maintaining focus on the job at hand instead of focusing on what is happening at Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of the two clubs’ meeting at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs are in buoyant mood after starting the new season with three wins but face a litmus against Sundowns.
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The defending champions have spent this window handling issues around unsettled players, which include star man Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who wants out.
Could all this be an opportunity for the club which will dominate the numbers on the stands on Wednesday to take advantage?
"You know, people may think that (this is the best time to face Sundowns), but at the end of the day, you have to do your job," notes Cedric Kaze, the Chiefs assistant coach, ahead of this anticipated tie.
"You have to do your job.
"You have to perform well on the field.
"It doesn’t matter the context of, or the circumstances of the opponent, but you still have to perform well on the field.
"And as well don’t forget that you are playing against the last seven-time [eight-time] champions.
"And I don’t think that those kinds of teams are troubled that easily.
"That is why we have been talking and working with our players to not rely on the outside, not issues because there is not issues, but on the words that they are hearing from outside.
"We still have to perform and to be at our best in every second and every minute on Wednesday," says Kaze, adding that they have prepared well.
"The week has been good.
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"We played last week on Tuesday and had a whole week of preparation, and everything is going well except that there is something like a flu going on, but we hope Wednesday we will be good.
"It is always a very good opponent that we face, but to see the progress that we have made, we want to play those kinds of games to see where we are at.
"We can’t wait to get to Wednesday," says Kaze.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
