Kaizer Chiefs will be hoping to book their place in the Telkom Knockout Cup semi-final with a victory over Orlando Pirates. SoccerClub writer DYLAN APPOLIS picks five Amakhosi players who could fire them past Pirates.
Ernst Middendorp’s charges will come into this encounter off the back of a four-game unbeaten run across all competitions, after recently claiming a 2-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Glamour Boys made their way into the quarter-finals of the competition when they beat Cape Town City 4-2 on penalties at Cape Town Stadium after the game ended 1-1 in extra time.
Take a look at five Chiefs players who could prove vital to helping Amakhosi reach the TKO semi-finals:
Daniel Akpeyi (Goalkeeper)
Akpeyi put in an impressive showing against Mamelodi Sundowns and kept a clean sheet during their victory at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last Sunday.
After struggling to find his feet at Chiefs, Akpeyi has finally settled down and improved his performance over the past few weeks to earn the No 1 spot in the team, keeping four clean sheets in eight appearances across all competitions.
Njabulo Blom (Defender)
The 19-year-old made his debut against Golden Arrows but showed his quality against Sundowns while playing a vital role throughout the game to help his side secure maximum points.
Middendorp could opt to utilise the versatile defender in the right-back role as he did against Sundowns after Reeve Frosler was forced off through injury.
Lebogang Manyama (Attacking Midfielder)
The 29-year-old has been one of Amakhosi’s standout performers this season, having already scored three goals and picked up two assists from 10 appearances in all competitions.
The former Cape Town City captain could prove to play a pivotal role in helping the Soweto giants advance to the semi-finals of the knockout competition.
Khama Billiat (Forward)
Billiat has been in fine form for the Glamour Boys this campaign, having missed only two league games for Amakhosi this season due to a knee injury.
The Zimbabwean forward will be one of Chiefs’ biggest threats as they look to claiming bragging rights against the Buccaneers. He has already assisted two goals and scored once in eight appearances for Chiefs.
Samir Nurković (Striker)
The Serbian has slowly started to adapt to his new environment and hit top form after scoring a brace in his last league encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium over the weekend.
Nurkovic proved to be the difference between the two sides and has been vital for Middendorp’s side after finding the back of the net on four occasions from eight matches played.
