Ndlovu says Kaizer Chiefs had to ‘grind’ against Sundowns after injury setbacks

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphesihle Ndlovu said his side had to work exceptionally hard to match Mamelodi Sundowns after injuries during the week disrupted their preparations for Saturday’s meeting.

The Amakhosi went into the fiercely contested encounter looking to preserve their place at the top of the table, while Mamelodi Sundowns were aiming to continue their winning start to the campaign.

Although it was only the third match of the season for both teams, the fixture carried significant importance. Kaizer Chiefs wanted to maintain their early momentum, while the Brazilians were determined to build on their opening victories.

The match remained closely fought throughout both halves. Langelihle Phili gave Kaizer Chiefs the lead in the second half with his first goal for the club, but Mamelodi Sundowns responded through Cassius Mailula to earn a share of the points.

Ndlovu said the nature of the contest meant Kaizer Chiefs had to remain disciplined and match the intensity of their opponents.

“I want to dedicate this to the ZCC where I come from, eMaqonqo. Obviously, it’s going to be a very tactical game because we know how Sundowns play, we know which spaces they want so we needed to grind a little bit more to match them,” Ndlovu told SuperSport TV.

The midfielder acknowledged that the injuries suffered during the week had made the challenge more difficult, but said the team remained focused on avoiding defeat in front of their home supporters.

“Obviously, the injuries during the week they killed us a bit, but we needed to put in the work today and make sure that we don’t lose at home.”.

There had been no specific instructions from coach Fernando Da Cruz aimed at Ndlovu, Sibongiseni Mthethwa or Lebohang Maboe beyond the need to show commitment and contribute fully to the team’s performance.

Against Mamelodi Sundowns, Ndlovu said that level of commitment was particularly important because Kaizer Chiefs knew they would spend long periods trying to regain possession.

“Nothing more besides being committed and doing what’s best for the team, but when you play against Sundowns you need to grind a little bit more because you know that you’re going to chase the ball,” Ndlovu added.

The plan was to make the most of the opportunities created after winning possession, particularly on the counter-attack. Ndlovu said Kaizer Chiefs had identified areas where their opponents could be exposed and believed they were able to take advantage of them.

“So, with that we needed to grind and make sure that we capitalise with the counter-attacks when we win the ball so we had seen that they lack there and there so I think we did that and I think it’s good for us.”