Kaizer Chiefs legend Collins Mbesuma is confident striker Samir Nurkovic will be able to forget his miss against Bidvest Wits and lead the club to glory against Chippa United on Wednesday evening.
Coach Ernst Middendorp’s charges are set to face the Chilli Boys in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) at Orlando Stadium and ‘Ntofontofo’ has called for mental strength in their challenging last two matches.
Although the Serbian hitman has been the best performer for the Soweto giants so far this term, he missed a sitter against the Clever Boys but the 36-year-old is confident the lanky hitman will bounce back.
“Nurkovic has carried and led the team’s attack, he missed against Wits and it’s part of football. He is a top player, we know his quality,” Mbesuma told Goal.
“He’s a big player and I’m confident he will be able to bounce back and do better. It was just one of those [games] for him and I like his passion – he will bounce back and score for the team.
“He’s been there and he’s doing a lot for Chiefs. He is passionate, he fights and you can see he’s prepared to die for the club.”
With Chiefs tied with Mamelodi Sundowns on 53 points but enjoy a favourable goal difference, the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations winner could not be drawn on who will emerge as champions, but his heart seems to be still with the Glamour Boys.
“I can’t say who will win it…I think it’s very difficult to say but I wish for Chiefs. I wish they can go on and finish the job,” added the Zambian legend.
“They’ve done well and it’s been long they have not tasted cup glory. However, it’s very tight and let me just say may the best team win it.”
On the other hand, the Chipolopolo legend opted to leave the decision on goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune’s return to Middendorp, preferring to say the German manager will make the right call.
“Honestly, competition is good at any and for any player, I can’t say much whether Khune must come back. Chiefs players are all professional," continued Mbesuma.
“Khune is a top keeper in South Africa, he’s an international keeper just like Bruce [Bvuma] and [Daniel] Akpeyi. The competition is there but it’s up to the coach now to choose the best team for the game against Chippa.
“I think this is one of the most interesting title races in PSL history. The players have to be strong mentally because it’s the end of the season.
“It’s crunch time and we know both teams in the title race come from losses. So, it’s very important to ensure they bounce back. Chiefs players have to ensure they forget about social media because external pressure can be hard to contain.
“They know once they lose the title might go another way and the players have carried the team up so far and they can’t just let it slip."