Kaizer Chiefs’ Carling Knockout campaign begins against TS Galaxy on Tuesday, 27 October, with head coach Fernando Da Cruz under increasing pressure to deliver a result.
The round-of-16 tie will be played at FNB Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30. Chiefs are seeking a place in the last eight after their disappointing elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup.
The Soweto club’s exits from the MTN8 and continental competition have left the Carling Knockout as another important opportunity for Da Cruz to guide Amakhosi towards silverware. A further early departure would increase scrutiny on the French coach.
Chiefs must quickly recover from their latest setback if they are to keep their season on course. They have not won the Carling Knockout for 16 years, meaning Tuesday’s match offers them the chance to move closer to ending that wait.
TS Galaxy will be aiming to prevent that progress and secure their own place in the quarter-finals. Chiefs will also be conscious of the Soweto Derby approaching, making momentum and confidence particularly important at this stage of the campaign.
Advancing would give Da Cruz and his players a much-needed lift before their coming fixtures. Failure to overcome TS Galaxy, however, would leave the coach facing increased pressure.
The predicted Kaizer Chiefs line-up is:
Bvuma; Frosler, Miguel, Moloisane, Cross; Mthethwa, Maboe; Shabalala, Vilakazi, Silva; Duba.
