Chiefs flex muscles and depth in win against Sundowns

Never read too much into a friendly. And yet, a scoreline (4-2) as dramatic as this by Kaizer Chiefs over Mamelodi Sundowns in yesterday’s Shell Helix Ultra Cup at FNB Stadium cannot be quite so easily dismissed.

Chiefs’ senior team — many on international duty this weekend — are top of the log in serious football in the Absa Premiership.

In friendly football, their second-stringers are dishing up impressive performances against Pitso Mosimane’s league champions — albeit ,of course, also a Downs B team.

Could something crazy be happening for the eccentric Ernst Middendorp and his seemingly charged-up charges at Naturena?

With the way their respective fortunes have gone the past few seasons, you would expect Sundowns to have more depth than Chiefs.

With the way their respective fortunes have gone the past few seasons, you would expect Sundowns to have more depth than Chiefs

Downs probably had a few more players with national teams. Still, this friendly did seem to continue to indicate that, as Middendorp has started to beat his team into shape, Chiefs actually have some exciting players on the fringes of their first team.  Even some depth.

Also on display was that Chiefs’ Khama Billiat-Leonardo Castro partnership has surely been underutilised.

Middendorp has given new signing Samir Nurkovic game time, but Castro has barely been seen.

There has been speculation of a personality clash with Billiat. This is where Middendorp can seemingly allow his ego to become self-destructive. It can lead to dressing-room rebellions.

Given a run together, Castro-Billiat put in a first-half masterclass. Billiat laid on three for his ex-Downs teammate and scored a fourth.

Mosimane brought on big guns forDowns ’ second-half fightback. Two combined for a goal pulled back, Gaston Sirino’s low cross palmed by Daniel Akpeyi for Ali Meza to finish into an open goal.

Sirino pulled another back after what seemed a soft penalty deep in injury time.