Staff Reporter.
Kaizer Chiefs have travelled to the North West Province to face Marumo Gallants at their alternative home venue, the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng.
The two teams have played six league games this season, and Chiefs have seven points in the bag, while Gallants have collected five.
Bahlabane Ba Ntwa are in turmoil after Romain Folz resigned as head coach earlier this week due to interference from the club’s management in team affairs.
Folz was a no-show for last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Swallows and the French tactician subsequently revealed that the hierarchy had demanded he change his starting line-up for the encounter at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Gallants technical director Harris Choueu then attempted to tarnish Folz’s name by making absurd claims about him in the media, forcing the club to respond to his comments.
“Marumo Gallants FC distances itself from the statements made by team technical director Harris Chueu following recent developments with the club’s head coach, Romain Folz,” a statement from the Limpopo outfit read.
Folz had been under pressure to deliver after failing to record a win in his first six games at the helm since replacing Dan Malesela during the off-season.
Meanwhile, Chiefs are seeking their first victory in three matches, having lost 2-0 to Cape Town City followed by a goalless draw against AmaZulu since they beat newly-promoted Richards Bay three weeks ago.
Chiefs have failed to score in four of those games and head coach Arthur Zwane admits the players haven’t gelled yet in the final third, but is confident they will eventually come good.
“It’s work in progress. When you are trying to get the combinations right, you are going to miss certain things,” Zwane said.
“These include chemistry and tactical understanding. But when you look at our boys, sometimes they get it right and sometimes they don’t.
“If we had more direct runs inside the box, especially in the final third we could have good decision making and good combinations.”