Siwelele hoping to upset Chiefs in a must-win PSL clash
Siwelele will be looking to turn that resilience into something more rewarding.
Black News 
Siwelele FC will host Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday evening in what is seen as a must-win fixture for the Bloemfontein side.
Sitting 11th on the Betway Premiership log, the team arrives at this high-profile home tie on the back of a frustrating run of results, with three consecutive draws, to Golden Arrows away from home, Marumo Gallants at the Dr Molemela Stadium, and a 1-1 stalemate against AmaZulu.
A run that has done little to inspire confidence, but one that also speaks to a side that refuses to be beaten.
And against Kaizer Chiefs, Siwelele will be looking to turn that resilience into something more rewarding.
Home soil has historically offered Siwelele a degree of comfort against the big clubs.
Their 0-0 draw with Chiefs on October 22nd shows a side that can compete at this level. With a packed Toyota Stadium expected behind the team, it represents a genuine opportunity to register a memorable result against an Amakhosi side arriving on fatigued legs, just days after a taxing Soweto derby.
Coach Lehlohonolo Seema has had his squad preparing through a demanding schedule, with a midweek trip to Durban just days ago, followed by this high-stakes home fixture. But he says the camp is ready.
“Yeah, we are facing Kaizer Chiefs tomorrow. The preparations have been going very well, although the games are coming thick and fast. Not so long ago, two days ago, we were in Durban, and now, we are here in Bloemfontein. But that is not an excuse because they played also on Sunday. So, it’s for everyone. But yeah, the preparations went very well, and here we are. We are waiting for the game tomorrow, and we are looking forward to it,” says Seema.
Siwelele has played 12 games unbeaten, with 12 clean sheets. The team believes the results will come with a home crowd that has never stopped believing in them.
Club Captain Pogiso Sanoka has been at the heart of Siwelele’s resilience this season. He acknowledges the quality side Chiefs bring to Bloemfontein but insists this group of players – many of them young – are more than ready for the occasion.
“I think both teams, personally, I think they’ve been doing well, especially Chiefs now, five, six games without a loss. Yeah. And I think the disadvantage going into this game is the number of injuries that we have seen in our previous games. But I think with the team that we have, a lot of youngsters with good qualities, yeah, we are looking forward to this game.”
The captain’s confidence is shared throughout the city.
In Bloemfontein, the bond between club and community has never wavered, and the supporters are ready to play their part.
“Tomorrow, we don’t see any problems. We’ve been playing quite very well, even though we’ve been playing draws. But the fact that we are not conceding, it gives us the hope that tomorrow we are not going to lose. Remember, we held them to a draw in their home game in Durban. Now, they are coming for us, and we are working our way up to the top 8. So, I don’t see any problem. Chiefs is not a difficult team. You saw their last game that they played … they are not very difficult. We will be scoring one, two goals tomorrow,” says one of the supporters.
Siwelele FC against Kaizer Chiefs is a fixture that always carries weight in this league, and with both sides needing points for very different reasons, the stakes are high.
For Siwelele FC, it becomes an opportunity as they also clinched a media and broadcast partner in Lesedi FM, which will be bringing every moment of the teams’ clashes to the people of the Free State and beyond.
Kick-off is at 19:30 at the Free State Toyota Stadium. – by Tiisetso Mokoena
