Lebogang Manyama MISSES Kaizer Chiefs game against Chippa United this weekend while Baxter settles on Daniel Akpeyi
Kaizer Chiefs injury worries continue as Lebogang Manyama suffers injury setback in training ahead of Chippa United clash.
Kaizer Chiefs have suffered a fresh injury blow ahead of this weekend’s DStv Premiership clash against Chippa United.
Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter will be without the services and experience of Lebogang Manyama for Saturday’s encounter against the Chilli Boys after confirming that the 31-year-old had suffered an injury setback in training.
“The lads coming back from Bafana are in good spirits, obviously, because they got a couple of good results, so they’re okay,” Baxter told the media on Thursday. “The other lads who were with their national teams came back fully fit so they’ve all trained properly.
“Unfortunately, Lebo Manyama has broken down again and we pulled him in training so he’s back to a rehab programme.
“Samir – operation – obviously too soon to say. Siya [Ngezana] is working hard at getting back, Leo Castro is working hard at getting back, [Dumisani] Zuma is working hard at getting back, but it’s not anywhere near playing for those players.
“Siya is running, almost fully, but he’s not back training with the ball with us.”
This weekend’s highly-anticipated fixture will see former Chiefs boss Gavin Hunt, now of Chippa United, return to the club for the first time since his sacking last season, with both he and his counterpart looking to come away with all three points.
Both teams have won only one of their respective six opening matches of the league campaign, with Baxter’s side sitting 12th in the league table, just one point ahead of Hunt’s charges.
Stuart Baxter settles on Nigeria’s Daniel Akpeyi
Kaizer Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter has seemingly settled on a starting goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi after heavily rotating his shot-stoppers during the early stages of the season.
Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, Kaizer Chiefs have used four goalkeepers across their opening seven matches of the season, with captain Itumeleng Khune, Bruce Bvuma, Brandon Petersen and Daniel Akpeyi all given a chance to impress with the gloves.
Nigeria international Akpeyi is the most recent to have done so, having featured in both of the Amakhosi’s last two matches, and now appears set to continue in that role in this weekend’s clash against Chippa United.
“We’ve settled a little bit, not on giving the No. 1 to Daniel, but allowing him after a couple of good performances to throw down the marker and a challenge,” head coach Stuart Baxter said ahead of the match.
“He’s experienced and at the moment we probably need experience, he’s been playing well, he’s been playing for his national team so, it’s not that he’s taken the No. 1 shirt, but there’s no real reason to be rotating at this moment.
“Having said that, the two younger goalkeepers have been learning a lot from both Itu and Daniel, because they’re experienced goalkeepers at the club and we’re hoping the younger ones will, at some point, make it impossible for us to keep them out of the team because that will be the future of the club.
“At this moment, both Itu and Daniel are making sure that they’re great role models and they’re not making it easy.”
