Watch VideoKaizer Chiefs face mental and tactical test ahead of Soweto derby

KAIZER Chiefs co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Yousef were left pale-faced on Tuesday ight as they take stock from the Stellenbosch defeat ahead of hosting Orlando Pirates at the FNB stadium. While Kaizer Chiefs players are expected to be self-motivated heading into the Soweto derby on Saturday (3.30pm), their medical and technical teams still have plenty of work to do in fine-tuning their readiness for the clash. Chiefs will host arch-rivals Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium.

They are currently fourth in the Betway Premiership standings with 30 points, eight behind log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have played one game more. Still in the title race, Amakhosi could have gone into the derby with a smaller gap, especially considering they arealso competing with Pirates, who are level on points with Sundowns, for the coveted title this season. But it was not to be.They suffered a 2-1 league defeat to Stellenbosch FC on Tuesday night, marking their third loss in the last four games.

This rough patch also includes earlier defeats to Stellenbosch and Zamalek, which saw them crash out of the Nedbank Cup and CAF Confederation Cup, respectively. Granted,form is often said not to matter heading into a derby.However, Chiefs face a psychological battle, driven by the desire to win while entertaining the masses expected to fill the World Cup venue to capacity. Speaking after the defeat to Stellenbosch at FNB Stadium, co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef explained how they plan to boost the players’ self-motivation following their recent struggles: