Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Patrick Mayo has urged the Soweto giants to be wary of AmaZulu on Tuesday afternoon, a team he preferred to call a 'wounded lion'.
The Glamour Boys are on the road this week to face Usuthu, who are yet to bag a win in the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season so far.
After parting ways with coach Cavin Johnson last week and roping in Jozef Vukisic, Mayo has warned his former club to focus on the task at hand rather than looking at teams such as Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
“I think complacency was starting to creep in and they were becoming big-headed after starting very well in the first four matches,” Mayo told Goal.
“They must now ensure they remain calm because the league is a marathon, it’s not like a cup game. Sitting at the top of the table for three weeks doesn’t mean you have won the league title.
“There’s a long way to go and they must just take it one game at a time, forget about competing with other teams. If you look at a team like Mamelodi Sundowns or Orlando Pirates then you will have a problem.
"They must just take each game as it comes and do the job, the mission is to collect more points as early in the season."
Coach Ernst Middendorp’s men are still licking their wounds after suffering their first loss of the season to Polokwane City last weekend and the Port Elizabeth-born legend believes the Durban-based club is in a state of desperation, adding that it will not be an easy encounter.
“It’s not going to be an easy game in Durban. AmaZulu are desperate for a win and they know they don’t have time to donate the points. Therefore Chiefs cannot afford to take them for granted,” stated Mayo.
“They just released their coach and that means they cannot lose at home and that’s a message that they want to run things around. Chiefs must be prepared to fight mentally and physically because they meet a team that is not prepared to lose at home.
“We saw the match between Sundowns and Maritzburg United, that was a tough game because Eric Tinkler doesn’t have three points just like AmaZulu. Chiefs should expect a tough match because there is no small team in the league anymore."
Speaking on what must the Naturena-based side do to return to Johannesburg with the maximum points, the 46-year-old believes an early goal will unsettle their hosts.
“Every team wants the points and AmaZulu are not different, I think Chiefs must go for an early goal because if they allow AmaZulu to score first, they might park the bus and it will be difficult to score,” he continued.
“We saw how Polokwane defended last week, Chiefs really struggled to break them down. This is one of the toughest leagues and who would have thought Polokwane City would be sitting as number one – it shows it's very competitive.
“My point is that every game is a cup final, but I’m sure Chiefs will bounce back. I am happy they lost as early in the season for them to rectify their errors unlike losing in the latter stages of the season.
“If they go on for about 10 games without a loss they might think everything is smooth. I think the loss to Polokwane was a wake-up call for them to look at their errors as a team."
