Kruger United boss Abram Mongoya says Kaizer Chiefs opener comes at ‘ideal moment’ for newcomers

Kruger United coach Abram Mongoya insists his newly promoted side are facing Kaizer Chiefs at “the right time” as they begin life in the Betway Premiership.

The Village Boys host Amakhosi at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday at 20:15 (local time) in their first-ever top-flight fixture, and Mongoya believes Chiefs are still adapting under new coach Fernando Da Cruz.

Mongoya has been closely tracking the Soweto giants, watching their pre-season camp in Spain and their recent Toyota Cup success, and feels that preparation has stripped away much of the mystery around their approach.

“[It is] clear how they [Chiefs] want to play and how they want to apply themselves and it [is] a very good game to start with because now we know the identity of what they are trying to do and how they want to play,” Mongoya told the media.

“You can see the spaces that they want to exploit, and we are prepared to manage those spaces, [including] the spaces they will leave; we also want to exploit them.

“We are playing them at the right time, in my opinion … it’s an ideal situation for [Kruger United] and the players.”

Prepared for Chiefs’ new identity

Mongoya believes the early stages of Da Cruz’s tenure give Kruger United an opportunity to test themselves against a Chiefs side still bedding in a new style of play.

Having studied their tactical shape and patterns off the ball during pre-season, he is confident Kruger United can set up to frustrate Chiefs and threaten on the counter where openings appear.

For Mongoya, the key advantage is clarity: he says Chiefs have already revealed enough of their blueprint for Kruger to construct a focused game plan around it, both in and out of possession.

He added that his squad have worked specifically on closing down the areas Chiefs like to attack, while also targeting the gaps that appear when Amakhosi commit players forward.

Promoted side promise “brave” football

Kruger United secured their place in the Betway Premiership by winning promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship last season, and Mongoya has promised supporters an ambitious approach rather than a cautious one.

After stressing that their promotion was built on a clear playing philosophy, he pledged that the club will not abandon the style that brought them up.

“We will have to impose our game and showcase the boys’ talent because when we recruit, we look at a certain game model, so we won’t try to change a lot of things. I think people are going to enjoy watching how we play,” he said.

Mongoya said fans can expect a “very brave display” from his players and that Kruger United “will try to play good football as much as we can” against one of the country’s biggest clubs.

Recruitment challenges for a “small team”

Kruger United have moved to add top-flight experience to their squad ahead of kick-off, completing deals for several senior players including goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari on loan, as well as defenders Katlego Mohamme and Kwanda Mngonyama.

Mongoya believes those additions give the team enough quality to compete, even if the club found themselves battling bigger sides in the market for some of their preferred targets.

“As a small team, I think the biggest challenge that we have is trying to reinforce [the team]. Some of the players that we targeted [in the transfer market] bigger teams [also] targeted, but it was showing that we have a good eye to identify talent,” he said.

Despite those hurdles, Mongoya is optimistic Kruger United have assembled a squad capable of holding their own in their maiden Betway Premiership campaign – starting with what he regards as a timely and revealing test against Kaizer Chiefs.