It is often said that how you start is not how you’ll finish. Kaizer Chiefs must take a leaf from that phrase if they are to improve on their MTN8 early exit and finish the season on a high.
Chiefs lost 1-0 to Golden Arrows in the Wafa Wafa quarter-final on Saturday night, missing out on the first silverware of the season. It was a crushing night for the Amakhosi faithful, who had earlier witnessed rivals Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns reach the semi-finals.
Chiefs are going through a rebuilding phase, having recently appointed Fernando Da Cruz as the new coach, with a refreshed technical team and new players, including Langelihle Phili, Thabo Moloisane, Faiz Abrahams, and Adolf Mtasingwa Bitegeko, signed during the transfer window.
Despite Da Cruz returning to the club after serving as Nasreddine Nabi’s assistant for a month, the Frenchman’s familiarity with the team was supposed to yield dividends from the outset – particularly in the MTN8.
The Marbella camp in Spain was expected not only to integrate Moloisane, the only new player who traveled with the squad, but also to establish Da Cruz’s philosophy.
The 54-year-old coach has stressed his commitment to attacking football. As such, his troops should focus on possession-based play combined with the explosiveness needed to reach the final third more quickly.
However, that is yet to show in the team’s setup. The attacking unit has been struggling in the final third, with Luke Baartman and Mfundo Vilakazi yet to seize the opportunities they have been given since the start of the season.
The team’s slow start and reliance on young players have already increased the pressure on Da Cruz, as they strive to balance development with results.
However, all is not lost. After bemoaning the lack of attacking personnel to execute the required explosiveness up front, the club seemingly obliged.
Amakhosi signed Phili and Abrahams on permanent and loan deals from Stellenbosch, while sending a transfer fee, Ashley Du Preez, and Given Msimango in the opposite direction.
Granted, the duo will take some time to adapt at Amakhosi. However, the fact that they played together at Stellies is expected to help them hit top gear once they find their feet.
With Rome not built in a day, perhaps that is what Da Cruz needed: crashing out of the MTN8 to ensure he builds an impressive campaign that will challenge incumbent Pirates and serial winners Sundowns for the league title.
Granted, Pirates and Sundowns have momentum, but Chiefs have a good chance of throwing a spanner in the works. Their rivals expect little of them, and they have a relatively young squad with a strong desire to win trophies.
While winning the MTN8 sets the tone for the rest of the season, the league title remains the ultimate prize in domestic football for any club.
Chiefs may not have won the league title since 2015, but the fact that they achieved that feat under a new coach – Stuart Baxter – proves it is possible. Moreover, they also had an early exit that season in the MTN8 after losing to Sundowns.
With an improved performance throughout the rest of the campaign, Chiefs could secure an impressive finish in the CAF Confederation Cup, which could bring them back into the spotlight yet again.
So, Chiefs must concede that they have had a disappointing start to the season. But they cannot allow that to decide their fate; they must take it as a wake-up call and ensure that they finish the season strongly – possibly matching and surpassing the success of 2015.
