Chiefs aiming for four out of four
12/11/2009 8:21:00 AM
Thabang Rooi © Backpagepix
It has been almost four years since Kaizer Chiefs won four Absa Premiership matches in succession. Having won their last three league games, the Amakhosi will be confident of making it four wins on the trot when they host Bloemfontein Celtic at 8:15 pm on Saturday evening at the Super Stadium in Atteridgeville.

For a team who were languishing in last place on the table, Chiefs have improved massively as the season has progressed, with their recent spate of victories, which has included a 3-0 triumph over BIDVest Wits and two 3-1 wins against Maritzburg United and Platinum Stars, will have given them the necessary boost in morale and motivation to continue with their successes.

According to Chiefs defender Thabang Rooi, his team’s ability to reverse results against teams that they were unable to defeat in the first round of league matches has helped them over come numerous psychological hurdles.

“We need not to get carried away with some of our recent results and be just as confident and level-headed for the Celtic game,” said Rooi.

“In the first round we drew with Santos lost to Maritzburg and Wits. Through hard work and thorough preparation, we were able to defeat these teams in the second round, and we would like to do the same against Celtic who also beat us when we met in Bloemfontein.”

Rooi believes that Chiefs have taken no notice of Celtic’s recent loss and will only manage to keep up their current results if they can continue playing as a single unit.

“When we went into our last three matches, the opposition’s form and results did not cross our mind and nothing will change now. We have been playing as a team; when we attack we have been doing so as a unit and the same when we are defending. Our play recently has seen the goalie, backline, midfield and attackers complement each other.”

In the meantime, Celtic have put their Wednesday evening defeat to Maritzburg United behind them and are, according to their defender Michael Khaile, now focused on defeating Chiefs.

“When playing a big team like Chiefs we don’t need our coach to tell us what we are going to do. We are fully motivated and revved up for the match,” said Khaile.

The eager defender cannot wait to meet the on-form Amakhosi on Saturday evening and said, “Two weeks ago we met SuperSport and we managed to halt them when they had won six league games in a row.

“We are going to do the same to Chiefs. I assure you that we are going to beat them, I am not a superstitious person so the fact that they have been beating teams who they could not win against in the first round does not worry me. We might have beaten them before and we can do it again. If we work hard and concentrate on the task we can win again.”