Gaston Sirino gets Chiefs ticking Gaston Sirino celebrates after scoring Kaizer Chiefs’s first goal during their Nedbank Cup round of 16 game against Chippa United at FNB Stadium on Saturday. Photo: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Do you remember how well Nasreddine Nabi’s Kaizer Chiefs started the season?
After a few weeks of action, their fans were giddy with excitement that the club was finally going to start challenging for trophies again. They were keeping up with early pacesetters Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
But, those good feelings didn’t last for the long-suffering Amakhosi faithful. A dramatic mid-season dip in form saw the club struggle for consistency as they fell way behind Sundowns and Pirates.
Chiefs fans started getting that familiar sinking feeling they’ve had over the last couple of years when they’ve watched their beloved team sink to their lowest depths.
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But recently, Nabi’s men look like they’ve started turning the corner again. Since going down 1-0 to Soweto rivals Pirates in the derby earlier this month, they’ve rebounded well, and this past weekend, they overpowered Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup.
Saturday’s 3-0 win over the men from Gqeberha was orchestrated by South American lynchpin Gaston Sirino.
In fact, it was with the Uruguayan veteran in the side that they’ve played their best football, and it was during his mysterious absence that it seemed the club were constantly beating their heads against a wall.
Sirino’s return to the first team fold has really lifted the club. With him pulling the strings on Saturday, Chiefs were comfortable during their Cup clash against Chippa. He opened the scoring in the 13th minute, setting Chiefs on their way to secure a convincing win.
Following the win, one can almost conclude that Sirino makes Kaizer Chiefs a much better team and they need to make sure that he remains fit enough to play as much as possible for the remainder of the season.
His tactical awareness is second to none in the entire Betway Premiership, and he can also play a massive role in helping guide Chiefs’ talented youngsters like Wandile Duba, Mduduzi Shabalala and Mfundo Vilakazi.
Nabi will have to deal with the balancing act of making sure he gets enough game time while also wrapping him in cotton wool because his almost 34-year-old legs will start to strain if he’s not well looked after.
With Sirino in the team, Kaizer Chiefs are very good. Without, they struggle to put away teams that field players like Andile Mpisane.
IOL Sport
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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