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Chiefs tough league start continues against Wits

Cape Town - After holding Mamelodi Sundowns in their Absa Premiership opener, Kaizer Chiefs prepare to face Wits on Tuesday.

The game kicks off at FNB Stadium and is Amakhosi's first home match of the season after their 1-1 draw against Masandawana in their league opener in Tshwane last weekend.

Gavin Hunt's Wits side, meanwhile, ended the weekend top of the table as they made an early statement of intent with a 3-0 win over Free State Stars.

Ea Lla Koto have traditionally been a tough nut for the Clever Boys to crack, and with a host of new signings in their ranks, the manner of their victory suggests the Students are determined to put last season's nightmare behind them, when as defending champions they flirted with relegation for much of the 2017/18 campaign.

Chiefs, on the other hand, with new coach Giovanni Solinas in charge for his first official match, did well to take a point from a star-studded Sundowns side at Loftus Versfeld, Ramahlwe Mphahlele's early opener having been cancelled out by a Ricardo Nascimento penalty.

There were certainly some positives for Amakhosi's Italian mentor to take from the game, including a man-of-the-match performance from new signing Khama Billiat.

"I am proud of my team. We played well and we could have won the match if we would have buried our chances," Solinas told the club's official website.

"I know what's expected of me. When you join a big club like Chiefs you know what you have to do and that is to win points. I am very happy with the professionalism of my team.

"The players are working hard at training and that's exactly what we need to do if we want to challenge for honours this season.

"We have a limited period to recover before our next game against Bidvest Wits. It promises to be another tough encounter, but we will be ready come Tuesday night."

New Clever Boys signing Deon Hotto has already found the net, having scored the third goal against Stars, and could provide a real threat down the flank, while another new acquisition, one-time Orlando Pirates man Gift Motupa, will be relishing the clash against the Glamour Boys.

Neither team has any injury or suspension concerns and both coaches should have fully-fit squads at their disposal.

Kick-off is at 19:30.

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