Solinas promises TKO blow on Leopards

Kaizer Chiefs will on Sunday take another step in a bid to end their long-standing silverware drought.

Amakhosi coach Giovanni Solinas hopes the just-concluded Fifa international week has injected a much-needed boost for his side ahead of their Telkom Knockout last 16 clash against Black Leopards.

The game kicks off at 3.30pm at FNB Stadium.

“We hope this Fifa break will help us get the results like the last time,” said Solinas.

He was referring to their four-match unbeaten Absa Premiership streak between September 15 and early this month, where Chiefs amassed 10 points out of a possible 12.

Although their good run was snapped by a 1-0 defeat to Polokwane City a fortnight ago, Solinas has his tail up heading into today’s cup tie against another Limpopo-based side.

“We’ll fight to try and win this trophy,” insisted the Italian, who succeeded Steve Komphela before the start of this campaign.

Solinas seemed less bothered that his side has already failed in their first attempt in a knockout competition, following their MTN8 semifinal elimination by eventual runners-up SuperSport United early this season.

Instead, the former Free State Stars coach has described the Telkom Knockout as familiar territory, having guided Ea Lla Koto to the last four of the 2016 edition.

“This is my second participation after I reached the semis [and lost] against [eventual winners] Cape Town City. I hope to improve this because there is no other option with Chiefs but to try and win this trophy,” he said.

In what the Chiefs coach described as bad luck, Solinas will be without Lebogang Manyama, who fractured his elbow in a car accident this week.

The attacking midfielder, who joined Chiefs as a free agent in August, has been ruled out for six weeks.

Also, star attacker Khama Billiat was a doubtful starter at the time of going to print, after Chiefs physiotherapist David Milner’s report said the Zimbabwean international was due to be assessed for a back injury.

Billiat picked up the injury during his country’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Democratic Republic of the Congo last Tuesday.

Chiefs heads into Sunday’s encounter against Leopards still basking from their 2-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the annual Macufe Cup in Mangaung last weekend.

Solinas was quick to dismiss the view that his players could be distracted by the looming Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates on Saturday.

“The derby is important, but we have an [equally] important game against Leopards,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leopards who collected just three points from their past five league matches, are up for the fight.

Coach Joel Masutha’s side have a record of upsets over their fancied opponents, having previously knocked out Chiefs in the last 16 of the 2015 Nedbank Cup when the Venda-based outfit was still campaigning in the National First Division.