An uphill climb awaits Kaizer Chiefs, who look to overturn a three-goal deficit against bitter rivals Orlando Pirates in the second leg of the MTN 8 semifinal tie between the two sides.
The Buccaneers scored three goals without reply in their home leg, to take a hefty advantage going into the clash at FNB Stadium, and were further boosted by bagging three points in their midweek league outing away to Bloemfontein.
Kaizer Chiefs hope for a miracle
The three goals scored by Pirates in one match equal the tally registered by Chiefs all season across competitions.
The last time an Amakhosi player got on the scoresheet was in the MTN 8 quarterfinals, where defender Yagan Sasman netted a brace against Maritzburg United to set up a double-legged Soweto derby tie in the last four.
Since then, their only other goal came through a player wearing different colours to their own in Gregory Damons, who turned the ball into his own net as Chiefs beat Chippa United in a league clash in Port Elizabeth.
Coach Gavin Hunt, however, believes it might not be long before his side enjoys a decent goal-scoring spree.
“If you look at even Pirates, how they were struggling to score and all of a sudden they got three [goals] against us, so these things can turn very, very quickly,” said Hunt.
“The most important thing is, as long as we’re creating opportunities, but we certainly need to be taking them, there’s no two ways about it.
“In the last couple of games that I’ve seen, there were some great opportunities and we’ve got to be doing better in front of goal, wherever the ball lands.
“But obviously, any team, anywhere in the world, is going to miss the man that scored the most goals for them last season. So, we can’t [dwell on it], we have to get on with it.
“But we certainly need to spread the load a little and try and get a few more goals from other areas.”
Gavin Hunt, Kaizer Chiefs coach
Chiefs have been severely hampered in the goal-scoring department by the injury suffered by the talismanic Samir Nurkovic, who is yet to turn out for the club since his impressive debut season.
On top of that, they have been unable to make additions to their squad, following a transfer ban imposed on them by Fifa.
The match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates kicks off at 15:30 on Saturday.
