A fearless Kaizer Chiefs will host Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium tomorrow (kick-off 3pm) with nothing but the privilege and responsibility of bringing joy and pride to their supporters.
Chiefs are currently riding the wave of a perfect start to their Betway Premiership campaign. They won their first two league matches, beating Kruger United 3-1 at Mbombela Stadium before getting past Sekhukhune United 2-0 at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
Those wins pushed Amakhosi to the top of the standings with a maximum of six points, helping offset their early MTN8 quarter-final exit to Golden Arrows. However, they are set to meet their biggest challenge yet when they face the reigning CAF Champions League winners, Mamelodi Sundowns, in a league clash at the Calabash.
Speaking during a press conference at the team's headquarters in Naturena yesterday, head coach Fernando da Cruz stated that they will need to "up the ante" to match the standard of the African champions and gauge their readiness for the season.
Defender Inacio Miguel insisted that they will treat the match like any other and carry out the plans they have set for themselves this season.
“The message is clear: we fear no one,” Miguel said.
"No matter if they are champions of the Champions League or the PSL top-flight. We’ll face them like we faced Sekhukhune, starting the game with the same ambition and fighting spirit."
In fact, Miguel added that they are not under pressure heading into the match, as they feel they owe it to the club, their supporters, and themselves to deliver and enjoy such fixtures.
“I always say to the young boys that we have no pressure. Pressure is when you have to feed your family, and you can’t go out to work. Pressure is when you have someone in the hospital, and you can’t visit them."
“I felt pressure when my grandmother was in Portugal, and I was in Angola. I felt pressure because I couldn’t do anything about that. I was an eight-hour flight away from home. So, playing for Chiefs in a big game is not pressure, but a privilege.
“That privilege obviously comes with responsibilities. How we change the word privilege to responsibility is what is important. We’ll face Sundowns with responsibility. There’s no more beautiful thing. There’s no better game to play.”
While Da Cruz welcomed the character test against Downs, he expressed frustration over the early timing and resulting fixture congestion.
“We know that they are the best team in Africa because they won the Champions League last season,” said Da Cruz, during his post-match press conference after their victory over Sekhukhune.
"We will try to raise our game to a Champions League level tomorrow. The match will give us clear insight into the team's readiness."