Molefi Ntseki is not reading too much into Kaizer Chiefs’ recent fall from grace, declaring that history is for historians and the future is for the club.
Chiefs are one of the most successful clubs in the land but they’ve defied that image in recent years, considering that they are enduring an eight-year trophy drought.
Ntseki is the latest coach tasked with changing their fortunes around but his tenure didn’t get off to an ideal start, resulting in him being pelted with missiles by the fans after their last loss.
But since that incident in Mbombela, Chiefs have turned things around – winning their last two matches against AmaZulu and Stellenbosch FC in the DStv Premiership.
Speaking yesterday, ahead of their MTN8 semi-final first leg against Mamelodi Sundowns at the FNB Stadium tomorrow afternoon (kickoff 3pm), Ntseki mentioned key areas they are working on to revive the sleeping giants.
“What’s important for Kaizer Chiefs is to continue working on the three C’s – Calm, Control and Courageous. But the most important thing is confidence,” Ntseki said.
“We are not reading much into the past but we are looking much into writing a new history. This new history must come with a lot of challenges and personality expressions.”
And while Chiefs have had challenges, there are players that are starting to prove that they deserve to don the famous gold-and-black jersey of the club.
New attacker Pule Mmodi scored in Chiefs’ back-to-back wins, while Brandon Petersen – who had made two costly blunders which resulted in back-to-back losses – has now kept two successive clean sheets.
Ntseki is happy with the collective contribution of his regular players but he claims the future is bright for the Amakhosi as the nonstarters are also eager to be part of turning their fortunes around.
“I keep on saying, nobody will ever put you in the starting XI – you must put yourself (there). And that is a very fair competition that we have at the club,” Ntseki said.
“And that’s why you see everybody is looking forward to being in the starting XI – even those that are on the bench and grandstands.
“They are coming in and saying: ‘If I come in, I am going to do my best as long as I am courageous, confident and calm’. The history is for historians, and the future is for Kaizer Chiefs!”
Should Chiefs win the MTN8, they’d have set a perfect path to the future that Ntseki speaks about.
But that’s easier said than done. Amakhosi will meet a Sundowns team who are yet to drop any points or lose since the start of the season – having won all six matches in the league and their MTN8 quarter-final.
One of those league wins was against Chiefs in the second game of the new season, a result decided by a Petersen blunder.
But a lot has happened since then so it’s safe to say Chiefs are nearing their “confident” phase as Ntseki claims that no team is without a weak spot in the top-flight.
“Any team has its own weakness, and I don’t think Sundowns are different to any team that we have in the PSL,” Ntseki explained.
“In possession, they are very dangerous. But the question is, when they lose possession, which areas can you exploit? And that’s what we’ll be working on.”