Ernst Middendorp, coach of Kaizer Chiefs during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on 30 January 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Ernst Middendorp, coach of Kaizer Chiefs during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on 30 January 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Kaizer Chiefs news: Middendorp wary of relegation-threatened Baroka

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp believes his charges will be up against it when they take on relegation candidates, Baroka at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Ernst Middendorp, coach of Kaizer Chiefs during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on 30 January 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Ernst Middendorp, coach of Kaizer Chiefs during the Absa Premiership 2018/19 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on 30 January 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Saturday will be a rare occasion where Kaizer Chiefs go into a league fixture as overwhelming favourites in the 2018/19 season, as they prepare to battle it out with the struggling Baroka, but coach Ernst Middendorp believes the underdogs pack a mean bite.

Bakgakga are 15th on the log, just four points ahead of bottom-feeders Maritzburg United and boast a single win in all competitions in 2019 – a year that has yielded five defeats for the club, including one against first-division outfit, Jomo Cosmos.

Their trip to Soweto comes on the back of three defeats on the bounce, but Amakhosi’s German mentor is wary of the threat a relegation-threatened side can pose, having scraped past the Team of Choice in one of their more recent fixtures.

“We have had experience of this – the game against Maritzburg United.

“Baroka are in the deep end. We are preparing probably even more into the details than we did in the last game – the cup game against Cape Town City. That tells you the story.”

Ernst Middendorp

Middendorp also noted the unpredictability of his counterpart, Wedson Nyirenda’s tactics, as the Zambian mentor has chopped and changed over the last few games.

“I can tell you it’s a very tough match when you play so-called underdogs‚ so-called teams where the expectations are high that you have to win it.”

Ernst Middendorp

Kaizer Chiefs are currently seventh on the log, eight points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Kick off on Saturday is at 18:00 (SAST).