Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler says his side will not deviate from the approach that has served them so well this season when they face Kaizer Chiefs on Tuesday. The Citizens host Amakhosi tomorrow in a crunch Absa Premiership encounter at the Cape Town Stadium, where City will be looking to retain their place at the top of the table but face a third-placed Chiefs side just one point adrift. And Tinkler is well aware of what victory for either side could mean in the title race, especially considering the Premiership crown is the only trophy both sides have left to play for this season. “A tough match but a must-win match in my opinion,” Tinkler told reporters. “We’ve reached a stage of the season now - we had a conversation with the players after the game - where we’ve got nothing to lose. “We need to throw everything out there to try and win as many points as possible and try and go for the league if we can. And the first obstacle is obviously going to be Chiefs.”
Tinkler added they will also not deviate from the formula that has worked for the PSL debutants up until now. “We’ve got to be highly motivated, we’ve got to be extremely disciplined, we’ve got to have a good work ethic and in a game that’s going to be very tough against a team that’s a very, very good team. “We will have stick to what has worked for us thus far,” Tinkler conceded. When quizzed about Komphela’s abilities as a football man, Tinkler replied to reporters: “Steve, I’ve known Steve for years you know. He’s a phenomenal person, a great person, a great leader I think. “And you know I’d always actually seen him as one day potentially being SAFA president because he’s got the gift of the gab and he’s an extremely intelligent person,” said Tinkler.
Tinkler says he’s well aware of the pressures of coaching at a big club like Chiefs. The former Bafana Bafana midfielder himself experienced this whilst in charge of Orlando Pirates. According to Tinkler, Komphela can be proud of himself as many had written him off in the beginning of the season. “I think he’s done a fantastic job if I must be honest. He’s had to deal with a lot of pressure and it’s not easy at a big club like Chiefs but he’s come through that and they having a fantastic season. “I think many people at the beginning of the season were already writing them off, the way they started. But he’s had a fantastic run you know. “His knowledge his experience having played in Europe, Turkey, you see all of that. He’s a players’ coach, you see the players want to play for him. That’s important I think, particularly in the modern game. “I think he can be proud of himself considering all the things he had to go through this season and nearly two seasons,” Tinkler stated.
