Did Chiefs rush Bimenyimana back too soon?

Chiefs will still be smarting after being knocked out of the MTN8 on Sunday, and they are now bracing themselves for a massive match against Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates this weekend.

ALSO READ | CHIEFS FEELING THE ‘PRESSURE’ AS PIRATES CLASH LOOMS

Ahead of Sunday’s game, Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane opted to include Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana in the starting lineup, although the striker had been under an injury cloud in the build-up to the game.

It was clear that Chiefs were desperate to have the towering presence of Bimenyimana against AmaZulu, but it ultimately didn’t have the desired effect as Amakhosi failed to score or offer any real threats in front of goal.

ALSO READ | KAIZER CHIEFS LATEST: WHICH POSITIONS SHOULD ZWANE BEEF UP?

Zwane has insisted it was not a sign of desperation to rush Bimenyimana back, despite the fact he was looked to be battling with an injury niggle when he was replaced quite early in the second half.

“When we were preparing, he looked okay and he was also doing well in training,” said Zwane, as quoted by iDiski Times. “We felt we should start with him because we needed his presence inside the box because in our last game against TS Galaxy, we had a lot of box entries from wide and we didn’t have someone from that height for us to connect with the ball.

“Fortunately today, we had quite a few of those but the composure inside the box is one thing that we need to work on. If we were more relaxed, I think we could have done better.”

Get fired up and bet on all the drama of local diski

In information released last week, Zwane made no mention of an injury to Bimenyimana, but did acknowledge there was a “challenge” they were assessing.

Chiefs could be without another key player for the Pirates game

Chiefs could also be without Khune. The veteran keeper was set to start in his return against TS Galaxy last Wednesday, but he then felt pain in his knee while warming up, leading to his removal from the starting XI.

ALSO READ: RAMAHLWE MPHAHLELE NAMES HIS BEST PLAYER IN PSL

Khune was replaced at the last minute by Bruce Bvuma against Galaxy, and he also wasn’t available for the crucial MTN8 encounter.

ALSO READ: KAIZER CHIEFS AND ARTHUR ZWANE’S TARGET R8.5 MILLION BLOCKBUSTER SIGNING!

Get fired up, alongside SA’s most passionate fans, and bet on the very best South African football in the PSL. Sign up with Betway today and you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Sports Welcome Bonus – perfect for placing a bet on all the drama of local diski. 

ALSO READ: GAVIN HUNT OPENS UP ON BEING SACKED BY KAIZER CHIEFS