In what was a fitting 50th birthday present for the Kaizer Chiefs family, Amakhosi registered a clinical 3-0 win over Highlands Park in an Absa Premiership match played at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
Playing in front of more than 54 000 fans who were allowed in for free as part of the birthday celebrations, Chiefs scored through Leonardo Castro’s brace and Eric “Tower” Mathoho’s spectacular overhead kick.
Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp has made five changes to the team that lost to SuperSport United last weekend and he says it was important to win this game and continue with the celebratory mode.
It was only for the first time this season that Highlands lost by a three-goal margin and ironically they had also conceded three goals in the opening game of the season against Chiefs which they lost 3-2.
Head coach Owen Da Gama blames their big loss to the absence of key players due to injuries.
The win saw Chiefs extended the gap at the top to six points between them and second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns and Middendorp says losing was not an option following the setback from the past two matches.
He also admits that the players are starting to feel the pressure of staying at the top.
Highlands had won their last two matches after going through a rough patch of a game winless streak.
But they remain in the top six with 23 points from 17 matches. Da Gama says the depth of his squad is being really tested at the moment.
– Report by Velile Mnyandu
