SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo says Kaizer Chiefs are struggling ‘just like everyone else’ this season, adding that they are still a quality side who deserve respect despite current form.

Amakhosi have had a slow start to their league season, having failed to win their last four league games, as the club sit in 12th place on the log table after six games.

SuperSport have also been blowing hot and cold but managed to pick up three wins, which places them in sixth position, five points behind log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns with having played one game fewer.

Despite this form, SuperSport coach Tembo insists his team will still be very wary of the quality the Glamour Boys pose.

‘Definitely Chiefs are a good team and like we all know that as much as they are struggling, they are struggling like anyone else,’ Tembo told the media.

‘We have only played five games into the league, so it’s still too early. They are still a good team, coached by a very good coach who is very experienced and has won trophies. So for us, we don’t have to look at their current form.

‘We have to really prepare well because they have very good individual players like Khama Billiat, Nurkovic as well as Castro or Manyama. Those are quality players, national team players, that on any given day they can hurt you.

‘So, we don’t have to take them for granted. We have to be ready and remember that all the games we have played against Chiefs have always been tough. So for us, we take one game at a time. We have two important games before we close this year and we want to try and finish on a high, starting with tomorrow’s game which is very important, a big game for us.

‘If I look at their game against Leopards, my analysis only started in the second half because that is the Chiefs which we all know,’ said Tembo.

‘The mentality, the fighting spirit was there and that is probably the Chiefs we are going to meet tomorrow [Tuesday]. So we have to be ready for the Chiefs we saw in the second half [against Leopards].

‘They are a big team and big teams are always capable of pulling something out of the hat and that is what they did against Leopards. For us, we need to have a good start and try to manage the game and make sure that we get the three points because that’s our objective.’