Kaizer Chiefs will have their work cut out to finish inside the lucrative top-eight of the DStv Premiership with one game remaining, especially with the news that forward Ashley Du Preez might not be available for the clash.
Du Preez limped off injured after 30 minutes in Chiefs’ dour goalless draw against Polokwane City at FNB Stadium over the weekend.
Though Du Preez has scored just four goals this term in the league, it would still come as a blow to have him unavailable for Chiefs’ final fixture against Cape Town Spurs in Cape Town on Saturday.
Interim coach Cavin Johnson confirmed Du Preez would be trying to overcome an injury in time for the Spurs game.
In the aftermath of a fiery #DStv Prem encounter Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena said he's proud of his boys and the work they put in 👏 pic.twitter.com/WNhYsYDmiw
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Chiefs precariously placed
“Ja, Ash got a knock,” Johnson said after the Polokwane match.
“He couldn’t run anymore. At first, we thought it was the ankle, but it turns out it’s the toe, just above it. It might be worse than we initially thought.
“The medical team and Ash both agreed he couldn’t continue, so we brought on Happy [Mashiane].”
The log makes for sorry reading for Chiefs fans. After 29 games, Chiefs are in eighth place with 36 points, the same tally as both AmaZulu and Polokwane. Chiefs’ poor goal difference of minus three is one better than ninth-placed AmaZulu and four better than Polokwane in 10th position.
However, Golden Arrows in 11th have 35 points and could also overtake Chiefs on the final day of the season. Chippa United have 34 points in 12th and have a better goal difference than Chiefs. It means they could also finish ahead of the formerly mighty AmaKhosi.
Therefore, in a worst case scenario for Chiefs this weekend, they could finish as low as 12th on the log.