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Could Nurkovic and Castro absences be a blessing in disguise for Kaizer Chiefs?
Amakhosi need a win or a score-draw (which would take them above Horoya FC and through to the quarter-finals on the head-to-head ruling)
Kaizer Chiefs will be without both their big targetmen – Leonardo Castro and Samir Nurkovic, for their final Caf Champions League Group C match against Horoya FC on Saturday night.
The match kicks off at 21H00 South African time and takes place at the General Lansana Conte Stadium in Conakry, Guinea.
On one hand, coach Gavin Hunt’s task may be made harder by not having the pair available – Nurkovic is suspended after being sent off last weekend in the 1-0 win over Wydad Casablanca, while Castro is nursing a broken nose, an injury which occurred while he was in the process of scoring against Stellenbosch in the 2-2 midweek league draw.
On the flip-side though, Amakhosi’s play can at times be predictable when either Nurkovic or Castro are playing – both are big strong men with good heading technique, and as such, there is always the temptation – or likely even the instruction from the coaching staff - to get the ball forward as quickly as possible and to try and hit one of the big men with aerial passes towards the opposition box.
It's something which the Glamour Boys did to great affect last season under coach Ernst Middendorp, when Nurkovic’s 13 league goals nearly fired the Soweto side to the league title.
Chiefs fans in particular though, as well as some former players, have criticised this direct approach which can rely more on physical presence and brawn rather than clever play and intricate combinations.
Certainly when the likes of Khama Billiat, Happy Mashiane, Dumisani Zuma, Lebogang Manyama and Bernard Parker are firing on all cylinders, with able support from silky playmaker Nkosingiphile Ncgobo, Amakhosi have the personnel to dish up fluent attractive football.
The problem though has been that Billiat has had injuries and has been someway off his best form for a while, while Zuma has also struggled with injury and Manyama has simply been off-form.
But with little option now, it’s up to Chiefs’ ball players to show Hunt that they can win games without going the old-school direct route.
