Gabriel banking on past triumph as Richards Bay eye Chiefs upset

Richards Bay coach Ronnie Gabriel believes past success against Kaizer Chiefs could inspire his side when the two teams clash at FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Natal Rich Boyz face Amakhosi at the FNB Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 7.30pm. It comes at a time when Gabriel’s men are in desperate need of a turnaround, having stumbled out of the blocks in the new Betway Premiership campaign with consecutive defeats.

They opened with a 2-1 loss away to Marumo Gallants and followed that with a 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the KwaZulu-Natal derby.

Chiefs, meanwhile, have hit the ground running in 2025/26 under Nasreddine Nabi. Amakhosi opened their season with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Stellenbosch before edging Polokwane City 1-0 at home. Two wins from two have restored belief that Chiefs could finally mount a sustained push for honours.

For Gabriel and his team, the trip to Naturena’s giant home ground represents both danger and opportunity. The odds are stacked against them, but the coach insists Richards Bay will draw motivation from their most recent meeting with Chiefs. That fixture, played at the King Zwelithini Stadium last season, ended in a famous 2-0 victory for the Natal Rich Boyz.

“Chiefs away from home is always a tough fixture, it’s always a big fixture, and we will have to prepare well,” said Gabriel.

“I think we have to look back at our last season’s performance against Chiefs, bring back those feelings, those memories, and believe that we can go there and beat Chiefs. I think in the last fixture, we beat Chiefs here at home.

"So, we will have to go back into our thinking and see how we plan and use that as a motivation to know that we can go away from home and give Chiefs a game. Hopefully, we will get a result away from home.”

Gabriel has been vocal about his side’s need to sharpen up in attack following the departure of striker Yanela Mbuthuma to Orlando Pirates. Richards Bay’s inability to convert chances has cost them dearly in their opening games, something they will need to rectify if they hope to trouble Chiefs.

On Tuesday night, they will again look to the experience of new signing Gabadinho Mhango to lead the line. Against a Chiefs team brimming with confidence, Richards Bay will need both clinical finishing and defensive resilience to leave Soweto with something to show for their efforts.

For Gabriel, the blueprint is clear: lean on history, play with belief, and hope the ghosts of last season’s triumph can again haunt Amakhosi.