Chiefs look to bounce back from cup exit

Kaizer Chiefs FC will look to bounce back from their painful 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarterfinals when they host Sekhukhune United in Wednesday's Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium. Kick-off is at 7:30 pm CAT. The loss exposed their lack of clinical finishing, which they must quickly address.

What happened?

Sekhukhune United, meanwhile, progressed with a dramatic 4-3 extra-time victory over AmaZulu FC in the MTN8 on Sunday, showing their attacking resilience under new coach Cedric Kaze, who will face his former side, Chiefs, for the first time. Babina Noko also began their Betway Premiership campaign perfectly with a 1-0 win over Durban City on 1 August and will aim to keep their perfect start to the 2026/27 season intact in Johannesburg.

Why it matters for Kaizer Chiefs FC

Kaizer Chiefs FC could be without Flavio Silva and Ethan Chislett, who both picked up injuries in the lead-up to the Golden Arrows game. Furthermore, Amakhosi's longer-term absentees include Khanyisa Mayo, Paseka Mako, Thulani Mabsaso, Nkanyiso Shinga, and Rushwin Dortley. Sekhukhune United, meanwhile, have no major new injury concerns reported after their high-scoring MTN8 thriller and there are no suspensions for either side.

What comes next?

Kaizer Chiefs Head Coach Fernando Da Cruz said, "We're not afraid of where we are, we will keep working and moving forward. We're happy with our base or foundation and we want the fans to be proud of this team in the next few weeks." Da Cruz also added, "We have three games in six days so we will need all the squad for these three games because it will be a tough week for us... We wanted to go further in this tournament (MTN8) and we are disappointed to be eliminated [by Golden Arrows]. But we still have other competitions to compete in and we will continue to work hard to improve step by step."

Players to watch

Wandile Duba, Kaizer Chiefs FC, is a former SA U20 international who grabbed a brace to inspire Amakhosi to a win over Kruger United on the opening weekend and will look to continue his impressive scoring form in the league by punishing Sekhukhune United once again. Ngoanamello Rammala, Sekhukhune United, came off the bench to provide an assist and score a cracking goal against AmaZulu FC in their dramatic MTN8 victory, and will look to pose major problems for the Chiefs defence with his pace and finishing.

Head-to-head

Kaizer Chiefs FC are 1st in the league with 3 points, 1W-0D-0L from 1 game, recent form W. Goals this season: 3 scored, 1 conceded (+2 goal difference).