Kaizer Chiefs captain Inacio Miguel says they want to build on their consistent start to the season ahead of their clash against rivals and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Chiefs will host Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Wednesday, coming off a perfect start to the season after winning all three of their Betway Premiership matches.
Amakhosi’s flawless run came during the absence of coach Nasreddine Nabi, who has now returned to the club after being away on compassionate leave.
Nabi’s return is expected to strengthen the technical team’s planning, as his lieutenants – Khalil Ben Youseff and Cedric Kaze – revealed they had remained in constant contact with him.
Chiefs can’t afford to falter now, as fans appear to be back on the team’s side, doing their best to attend matches – including at the iconic FNB Stadium. By Tuesday morning, more than 41,000 tickets had already been sold for the 90,000-seater Calabash.
“We need to understand that the consistency we are showing right now is what we’ve always been talking about and looking for – so we need to keep winning,” Miguel said. “Keeping on winning will give us a boost for the remainder of the season, and that’s why we need to be consistent.”
Chiefs’ consistency has come in the form of victories and clean sheets, with goalkeeper Brandon Petersen yet to concede this season.
Amakhosi’s improvement this campaign bodes well for their aspirations, given that they had one of the leakiest defences in the league last season.
“From last season, I spoke about the process, and now we are in the middle of that process – which is why we’ve started to see results,” Miguel said. “We are reaping the rewards of the hard work we put in during pre-season, even though we didn’t have the best results then.
“We know that we are working towards something. We had our ideas, tried to settle, and wanted to test ourselves this season. So far, so good.
“We’ll see on Wednesday what Sundowns are capable of. But we are in a good moment, and we trust one another. I think that’s the difference from last season.
“This season we wanted to be more connected. We worked so hard last year to build that bond, and now we are getting results because of it.
“At the moment, I am very happy with the team. I think our defence is also doing a very good job.”
Chiefs will look to recreate their last impressive performance against Sundowns, when they won the Nedbank Cup semi-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last season en route to lifting the title.
While Miguel admits things may have changed this season – with Sundowns looking slightly weakened – he knows Chiefs would be foolish to underestimate them.
“In all the games we play as Chiefs, we need to aim to win,” Miguel said. “Of course, with all respect to other clubs, we need to beat Sundowns.
“We are playing at home, with our fans behind us. This is our city, and we need to make FNB Stadium our fortress.
“We need maximum points. Sundowns will be a big test, but I think the team is ready for the challenge. Hopefully, we’ll grind out the result.”
Sure, Chiefs might not need to beat Sundowns to win the league, but maintaining a strong run of form will go a long way in helping them achieve their targets this season.
