Baxter: Another difficult game

Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter expects Mpumalanga Black Aces to present a new challenge despite his side overcoming Aces in the MTN8 Cup.

On the opening weekend of the Absa Premiership, both Chiefs and Aces returned from their respective trips in the Free State Province with good results.

Read: High hopes for new reserve league

Chiefs collected the maximum points from Free State Stars in Qwaqwa while Aces returned home with a valuable point from Bloemfontein Celtic.

“This game will not be different from the Cup game we played against them last week, it is going to be equally difficult,” Baxter said on the Chiefs’ website.

“Our lads approached the cup game very well, but that’s history now. Tomorrow will be a new challenge, though.”

Baxter noted that Aces played without their foreign players due to permit issues but remains wary especially with former Amakhosi striker, Collins Mbesuma, leading AmaZayoni’s attack.

“The Aces that we played against in the MTN8 was minus some of their foreign players. They fielded a different team this weekend, with some of the players that sat on the bench against us coming on against Celtic. But that doesn’t change them at all; they are the same tricky Aces with the same coach in Clive (Barker),” said Baxter

“They will still play possession football and they usually like playing more with the ball. They will have some of their foreign players in their team and they will pack some firepower in their new recruit Mbesuma upfront.”

Chiefs collected maximum points against Aces in the league opener last season, courtesy of Parker’s solitary goal at Mbombela Stadium but the return leg Aces broke the hearts of the Amakhosi faithful by scoring in the last minute and winning 1-0 at FNB Stadium towards the end of the last season.

Read Here: Cellphone scam hits Chiefs star

Meanwhile Bernard Parker, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Matthew Rusike, will not be available for the trip to Mbombela Stadium.

Parker and Tshabalala have started warm up training with the team, while Rusike is also making a steady return to the training grounds.

Amakhosi fans can expect Parker back in four week's time while Tshabalala looks likely to return in a week's time.