Middendorp blames players’ mindset for AmaZulu’s loss

Kaizer Chiefs’ shocking 1-0 loss to AmaZulu FC at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night has called into question, again, the club’s Absa Premiership title credentials.

This is a game that was pitting the log leaders against the bottom of the log side and a team Chiefs hadn’t lost to in 13 years.

Following a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates the previous week, Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp made only two changes for this game against Usuthu, but the one-dimensional tactics played into the hands of the visitors.

However, he’s blaming the mindset of the players for this loss.

During the week, Middendorp had hinted on fielding some hungry players who hadn’t started in previous matches like Khama Billiat and Lazarous Kambole.

His combination of Samir Nurkovic and Leonardo Castro who are similar type of strikers and also lacking in pace, has not delivered for him in the past few matches.

Since the beginning of the year, Chiefs has played eight league matches, won four, lost three and drawn one.

This is 13 points from a possible 24 points and three of their four losses in the league so far have all been at home.

With eight games to go and only six points ahead of defending league champions Mamelodi Sundowns who have two games in hand, Middendorp says he’s always known that the run-in was going to be tough. – Report by Velile Mnyandu