Kaizer Chiefs return from their close-season holidays on June 22 and will get straight down to business under new coach Vladimir Vermezovic.

The Serbian national will lead the team through their paces at the High Performance Centre in Tshwane as the squad is assessed as to their fitness requirements going into pre-season.

AmaKhosi will then have just under a month to prepare for the 2009 Vodacom Challenge, with their first match to be played against visiting English Premiership side Manchester City at the Absa Stadium in Durban on July 21.

Vermezovic is looking forward to the challenge of leading one of the giants of African football into a new era.

“To work in Africa will be brilliant,” the former Yugoslavia international said. “Africa has the most talented players in world soccer. It would be a wonderful experience for me as a coach. African football has the potential to be the most powerful in world football.”