Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane says the club has to bounce back and start climbing up the ladder after a disappointing start to the season. Amakhosi are 12th on the log with two losses from three matches. Soweto’s Glamour boys are one of the four clubs that have conceded the most number of goals so far this season. They host newcomers and log leaders, Richards Bay FC in their next match at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday evening.
The humiliating 4-nil defeat at the hands of DSTV defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns last Saturday is now water under the bridge. The team is now looking ahead to the next match against rookies Richards Bay FC. Chiefs now find themselves in the wrong half of the table so early in the season. The mission now is to move up the table and catch up with the early pace-setters.
“We still finding ourselves, finding our feet but we have to grind the results because we have to be up there with the rest you understand what I’m saying so that as soon as we get into the groove and then we know already that we can easily climb the ladder otherwise we don’t want to play catch up. Now we are under pressure because we are avoiding pressure and we know pressure will be coming left, right and centre but we enjoy pressure you know by the look of things and the way the players have responded,” says Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane.
Although the club has started the season without a specialist striker, they still managed to find the back of the net three times. Their main short coming so far is their porous defence which has already conceded five goals in just three matches.
“I’m not too worried about the performance except for the goals that we conceded going forward. We are still on the right track. We will obviously work on our defence and try to sharpen up. You know our attack and be a little bit aggressive in the final third entry and I think we still on the right track and we have a lot to play for,” Zwane added.
The players understand that they need to start finding their rhythm to ease the pressure from their ever demanding fans.
“Luckily it was only our third game you know against Sundowns and we can see where we need to improve and it starts on Saturday. We need to be better going forward in our build ups and minimise mistakes. For us it’s just to forget about that result and try to focus on the next one and luckily this season the games are coming thick and fast. It’s good for us to try and rectify our mistakes going forward,” says forward Keagan Dolly.
Defender Reeve Frosler says the team will eventually find each other.
“We can’t get things right in the first three games. It will take a while to eventually find each other perfectly if I can put it that way but it’s a learning process and we are learning. We are getting better. I feel that we are getting better as long as we continue getting better we will achieve something as long as we keep working together and keep knowing each other better and then we will grow from there onwards,” says Frosler.
Newly signed sensation Ashley Du Preez will miss the next few matches due to an injury. Star player Khama Billiat is also doubtful for the match against Richards Bay. After this weekend’s match, Chiefs have two away matches in Cape Town.
They first visit bottom of the log Cape Town City, before travelling to the in-form Stellenbosch FC at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch for the MTN-8 quarter-final match five days later.
