Chiefs prepared for Pirates clash - VV
Kaizer Chiefs head into the Vodacom Challenge clash against rival Orlando Pirates at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium knowing that victory will secure them a spot in the final against Tottenham Hotspur.
But that will not be the only motivation as Amakhosi will desperately want to put one past their Soweto nemesis, who has not stopped gloating since winning three pieces of valuable silverware last season.
Amakhosi coach Vladimir Vermezovic said he was happy with the progress made by his team so far and expected his charges to do well.
"We are in the third week of our pre-season programme and we are prepared for this game. Whenever you play against Pirates the players don not need any special psychological preparation for the match, they are always ready to play against Pirates," he said.
Vermezovic said he expected Pirates to come out with guns blazing as there was a lot at stake in this game.
"In the Vodacom Challenge this is the most serious game, Spurs are in the final so it is between us and Pirates to see who will play them, we would like to win so that we can reach the final and defend our cup," he said.
Getting face to face with Pirates also gives Chiefs the opportunity to come up against a new look Pirates team, who have added a host of new personnel in the off season as well as roped in a new coach in the form of Julio Leal.
The match will be the first of the two pre-season derbies that the two will be involved in as they have another meeting pencilled down for July 30 at FNB Stadium in the Carling Black Label Cup. It will also present new Pirates coach Julio Leal to see how his charges will measure up against Chiefs.
"Every coach brings something different and new to a team, we watched their game against Spurs and we will again watch it carefully and see how to approach the game,” said Vermezovic.
"We will make a number of changes to the team the line-up will be different from Saturday’s game, it is important that everyone gets the chance to play in this very important pre-season period."