Amakhosi hunting for silverware

Even when they’ve just lost their most prolific player in Knowledge Musona, Vladimir Vermezovic reckons Kaizer Chiefs will have the most impressive season of his reign at the club.

Amakhosi claimed one cup and finished third in the Premiership stan-dings last year, with Musona playing a prominent role but, as the new season kicks off this weekend, the Zimbabwean is somewhere in Germany, where he’s begun a new life with Hoffenheim.

How his departure will affect Amakhosi has been a source of concern for their fans, but not Vermezovic, who believes new additions to the side, such as Lehlohonolo Majoro and Bernard Parker, would prove adequate replacements and ensure Musona is not missed.

“We lost an important player in Musona, but I think we’ll be fine. We also lost Valery Nahayo, but the new players will make us better than we were for the past two seasons,” the Chiefs coach said.

Amakhosi start life without the 21-year-old Musona, last season’s top scorer, on Sunday when they take on BIDVest Wits in an MTN8 quarter-final (FNB Stadium, 3pm).

But Vermezovic will not put immediate pressure on his new signings as they seek to live up to his expectation of bettering last season’s showing.

“I have been here for three years and I believe the players now completely understand my philosophy. I will not put pressure on the new players – they will get about six months to adapt to our style and culture.”

Six months might sound a reasonable time for players to settle in, but whether Chiefs fans prove as patient as Vermezovic is willing to be regarding his new recruits is a different matter altogether.

The newbies will all come under scrutiny when they take on Wits on Sunday from the notoriously narrow-minded Chiefs fans, some of whom openly expressed reservations about Majoro’s signing after watching him waste a couple of scoring opportunities in meaningless pre-season games.

Compounding Chiefs’ problems ahead of Sunday’s clash is the fact that one of their influential players, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, is out injured. “He’s out for six weeks,” Vermezovic confirmed, but captain Jimmy Tau and Mthokozisi Yende have recovered from niggles and will be available for selection.

While Chiefs have already showed their hand, with three of their pre-season games broadcast on television, little has been seen of Wits, but coach Roger de Sa said not much has changed from the Students since last season.

“We are not a closed book. You know what to expect from us,” the Wits coach said.

“It does help us a bit that we’ve seen Chiefs in pre-season games, particularly the one against Pirates.”

The return of Sifiso Myeni from overseas trials this week has boosted the Clever Boys. They have also signed goalkeeper Emile Baron as a replacement for Darren Keet, who has transferred to Belgian side KV Kortrijk.

De Sa prepared his team by taking them to camp in Mbombela, where they played friendly games, but he said the real strength of his team can only be seen during Sunday’s clash with Amakhosi.

“We aim to be competitive again this season, but it is difficult to tell where we are before we’ve played an official game. We aim to start on a winning note though.”

MTN8

Quarter-finals

Tonight: Ajax v SuperSport, Cape Town Stadium, 8pm

Tomorrow: Sundowns v Celtic, Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, 3pm; Pirates v Santos, Orlando, 8.15pm

Sunday: Chiefs v Wits, FNB Stadium, 3pm