Injury Woes Hit Kaizer Chiefs Before Sundowns Showdown
Kaizer Chiefs will head into Wednesday’s crucial Betway Premiership showdown against Mamelodi Sundowns with several injury concerns. This raises questions about their squad depth for the high-stakes encounter.
Key Absentees for Kaizer Chiefs
Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze confirmed during a media briefing at the club’s Naturena base that newly signed striker Etiosa Ighodaro, alongside a few other players, may not feature. Their absence would be against the reigning champions.
“Aden McCarthy has not trained since Saturday. The medical team is working hard to get him ready. We’ll only know tomorrow if he can play against Sundowns,” Kaze explained. McCarthy has been one of Chiefs’ standout performers this season. He claimed man of the match honours in the club’s opening two league fixtures.
Kaze also revealed that Shinga and Cross have both been sidelined due to illness over the past two days. Meanwhile, Ighodaro picked up an injury in training earlier this week.
Long-Term Injuries
Bafana Bafana defenders Rushwin Dortley and Given Msimango remain unavailable but are expected to return to action next month. Their absence continues to leave gaps in the Amakhosi defence.
Chiefs’ opponents, Sundowns, are themselves navigating a turbulent period. They experienced their MTN8 semifinal exit to Orlando Pirates on penalties this past weekend. The defending champions are also grappling with internal challenges. This includes ongoing contractual disputes involving Lucas Ribeiro, last season’s PSL Footballer of the Year, and right-back Khuliso “Sailor” Mudau.
Despite these distractions, Kaze insists Chiefs are not underestimating their rivals.
“At the end of the day, you have to perform and do your job on the pitch. The circumstances of the opponent don’t matter. We are facing an eight-time defending champion. Our players know they can’t rely on the outside noise surrounding Sundowns,” he said.
High-Stakes Battle
With both sides dealing with absences and uncertainty, Wednesday’s clash promises to be fiercely contested. Chiefs will be eager to take advantage of Sundowns’ off-field instability. Meanwhile, the champions will look to bounce back from their recent cup disappointment.
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