Comment by Smiso Msomi
The year 2024 has ushered in a new low for South Africa’s football giants, Kaizer Chiefs.
Once renowned for their prowess on the pitch, the Naturena-based club have found victories harder to come by than ever, mustering a mere six wins across all competitions in the past 12 months – including just five in the league and one in the Carling Knockout Cup.
This stark statistic is particularly sobering for a team that have long claimed the title of ‘cup kings’ within South African football.
The club’s faithful supporters, who have watched their beloved team endure a decade of torment, have yet to witness a major trophy lift since 2015.
The emotional toll of that barren spell has been aggravated by a series of disappointing league finishes and an unstable coaching carousel.
As Chiefs searched for a turning point, they recently appointed Nasreddine Nabi as head coach.
Under Nabi’s guidance, the Amakhosi racked up four of their six total victories, following the failed tenure of interim coach Cavin Johnson.
Though Nabi’s arrival sparked a flicker of hope among fans, it remains a struggle similar to the predicament left by his predecessors, Arthur Zwane and Molefi Ntseki.
Despite a glimmer of attacking promise – with only Mamelodi Sundowns outpacing Chiefs in goal-scoring this season – the team face a debilitating defensive crisis.
They have not managed to secure a clean sheet in this campaign, raising significant concerns heading into the weeks ahead.
The club are languishing in ninth position in the Premiership standings, having garnered three wins, three losses and three draws from their nine league fixtures thus far.
The gravity of Chiefs’ plight was painfully illustrated earlier this year when they suffered their two heaviest defeats in the history of the Premier Soccer League.
A humiliating 5-1 loss to rivals Mamelodi Sundowns at the FNB Stadium on May 2 marked a nadir, followed swiftly by a brutal 4-0 exit in the Carling Knockout Cup, again at the hands of the Brazilians.
In the league, Chiefs have squandered several chances in the attacking third, which only adds to the frustration felt by the club’s ardent supporters.
As they seek to rebuild and recover some semblance of glory, the path that lies ahead will be arduous and fraught with uncertainty.
But they have been presented with an opportunity to close out the year on a high note against Chippa United.
Amakhosi will host the Chilli Boys at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on December 29 with hopes of finishing the year in the top eight at least, a position they failed to hold at the end of last season.
Nabi is expected to keep his faith in the club’s academy graduates who have served him adequately in the attacking areas, while alterations could be expected in the backline. | Independent Media Sport