Harare — KAIZER Chiefs centreback Thomas Sweswe has backed fellow Amakhosi newboy and Warriors teammate Zhaimu Jambo to eventually come good and make his South African Premiership debut.

Jambo joined Chiefs together with fellow Zimbabweans, striker Knowledge Musona and Sweswe, as the Soweto giants sought to strengthen their team for the 2009-2010-championship onslaught.

The trio's arrival took the number of Zimbabweans at Chiefs to four as they joined veteran midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha. While Sweswe and Musona have already played for Chiefs in cup tournaments and in the Premiership, Jambo is still waiting on the wings.

Of the three new Chiefs arrivals from Zimbabwe, Sweswe has been given a regular start in Serbian coach Vladmir Vermezovic's side in the heart of defence while Musona has had to contend with having to come off the bench to add punch to the attack.

Former Gunners captain Jambo has been battling with a foot injury he picked up during pre-season training at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. Chiefs brought in Jambo as a direct replacement for fellow Zimbabwe international Onismor Bhasera, who is set to join English Premiership side Portsmouth.

But Jambo missed Chiefs' traditional pre-season Vodacom Challenge matches against Soweto rivals Orlando Prates and big-spending English Premiership outfit Manchester City.

The lanky defender was also forced to sit out the MTN8 tournament, which Chiefs won, as it emerged that his injury would take longer than had originally appeared.

Just when he seemed ready to start life in the South African Premiership, Jambo's woes continued when the foot injury flared.

In Jambo's absence Chiefs coach Vermezovic has been forced to rely on the enterprising Punch Masenamela to do the left back duties.

Masenanmela has not disappointed either, putting on some decent performances in the Chiefs rearguard and that has meant that Jambo, who used to being the kingpin at Gunners, would now have to work his way into the Amakhosi reckoning.

But the 22-year-old Jambo has received the backing of his more seasoned countryman Sweswe, who believes the talented left back will soon overcome his injury woes and make his Chiefs Premiership debut.

Sweswe, a veteran of many battles on the continent, having done duty with Highlanders, Mwana Africa and Dynamos, however, warned Jambo that he would have to work hard to claim the Chiefs left back position.

"Zhaimu has been a bit unfortunate with injuries but I think he is getting better now and he should be back anytime from now.

"He works hard at training and I know once he is fully fit he will make it but he also has to keep working hard because we also have Punch who has been doing well for us at left back," Sweswe said.

Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung also believes that Jambo will soon get off the mark in the club's gold and black colours.

Motaung, who has often revealed his club's admiration for Zimbabwean players' work ethic, actually tipped Jambo to make his debut when Chiefs host Maritzburg United in a league match on September 12.

"Zhaimu has been battling with injuries since arriving here but I think in the next game against Maritzburg United he will be available.

"We are still battling to get the results but we are playing good football and I think we will soon come good," Motaung said.

Chiefs have had a false start to the season that has left the Johannesburg glamour club under intense pressure from their demanding fans.

Amakhosi had, until last Sunday, not won in the league but Sweswe believes their hard fought 3-2 win over Amazulu in Durban could be the turning point to their season.

That victory helped them move from the bottom of the 16-team log table into 10th place and just six points behind early pacesetters Pirates.

There are no league matches in South Africa this weekend as attention shifts to the 2010 World Cup qualifiers across the globe.

Although they are not involved in the qualifiers by virtue of being the hosts of next year's global soccer showcase, Bafana Bafana are travelling to Germany for an international friendly against the 2006 hosts in Leverkusen today and Ireland in Limerick on Tuesday.

While Chiefs have the highest number of Zimbabweans on their books, local players are still playing an influential role at five other South African top-flight sides.

Esrom Nyandoro is captain of former champions Mamelodi Sundowns who like Chiefs have, however, had a slow start to their campaign.

Nyandoro's troops have managed just one win and two draws in their opening four matches and are seventh with five points in what promises to be a tightly contested championship race.

Sundowns had earlier shown interest in securing the services of the CAPS United pair of Tafadzwa Rusike and Leonard Tsipa before having a change of heart.

Big Warriors vice-captain and defender Zvenyika Makonese may have to contend with a place on the substitutes bench but he is likely to draw some satisfaction from the fact that his team -- Pirates -- with 10 points from four games -- are still to taste defeat.

Reigning 2008 Zimbabwe Soccer Star and Golden Boot award winner Evans Chikwaikwai is also still to find the target since his move to Bidvest Wits.

Chikwaikwai joined Energy Murambadoro and former Warriors left back Charles Yohane, who is now an assistant coach at Wits, but the former Njube Sundowns hitman is still to open his ABSA Premiership account.

Wits are currently fourth with six points and are five places ahead of Tapuwa Kapini's Platinum Stars although only a point separates the two sides. Lying at the basement of the standings, however, are James Matola's Free State Stars who also have Ian "Dibango" Gorowa as assistant coach.

But someone should spare a thought for Joel Luphahla. While most of his Warriors' compatriots are playing for their teams, speed merchant Luphahla is still club-less after being offloaded by Platinum Stars.

There was no joy for Luphahla by the time the South African Premiership window closed on Monday as no top-flight club had taken him on board. Luphahla has never really been lucky since his comeback from a horrific injury he suffered in March 2007.

A nasty clash with a Jomo Cosmos goalkeeper Abisa Shiningayamwe left Luphahla nursing multiple fractures and doctors at one stage had to insert metal supports on his leg. Luphahla, now 31, also has to battle against the age factor as he tries to revive a career that was in limbo for two years.

Injuries And Punishment

Luphahla's horrific injury was a carbon copy of the career-threatening injury suffered by Dynamos forward David Shoko in a BancABC Sup8r Cup quarter-final tie against Gunners at Rufaro two weeks ago.

Shoko has since been ruled out for the rest of the season and is in South Africa receiving specialist treatment.

A landmark ruling in Belgium this week thrust the issue of injuries back into the spotlight in world football.

Standard Liege midfielder Axel Witsel has been suspended until Nov. 23 for a foul that resulted in Anderlecht's Polish defender Marcin Wasilewski suffering a double fracture of his right leg on Sunday.

Witsel, who won Belgium's Golden Shoe for best player in 2008, will be ineligible for the next 10 league matches and a round of the Belgian Cup. He was also fined 2,500 euros ($3,590) by the Belgian FA this week. Witsel, 20, could additionally miss Standard's first four Champions League matches should European soccer's governing body UEFA extend the ban to their competition.

Wasilewski, 29, was sent off for stamping on Witsel in the 25th minute of Anderlecht's 1-1 draw at home to Standard. The incident has been the lead item on television news and pictures of Wasilewski's contorted lower leg have been splashed across Belgian newspapers.

Witsel has received emailed death threats, which the police are taking seriously, according to Belgian media