Did playing Spurs without fans lessen pressure for Chiefs? Khune responds
Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune has shared his feelings on whether playing behind closed doors against Cape Town Spurs relieved the pressure for his side.
Amakhosi went back to winning ways, picking up a 3-2 victory over the Urban Warriors in the DStv Premiership on Wednesday. This was after suffering three defeats on the trot in all competitions.
It was their first win under the interim coach Cavin Johnson who has been in charge of two games following the sacking of Molefi Ntseki last month.
The Soweto giants were forced to play without fans due to fan misbehaviour in three matches this season. The Amakhosi faithful threw objects at Ntseki on three separate occasions when the team failed to get the desired results.
Meanwhile, Chiefs’ performances have met with criticism recently with supporters displeased by the team’s poor start to the season.
As Johnson’s troops were looking to bounce back, one would have thought playing without pressure from fans would be a peace of mind. However, Khune insisted they needed the 12th man in the stadium.
He says it felt like they were playing a training-friendly match or went back to the COVID-19 time when all games were played behind closed doors.
KHUNE ON CHIEFS PLAYING WITHOUT FANS AGAINST CAPE TOWN SPURS
“I think it’s always great playing in front of the fans because they always give us an extra push,” said Khune in the press conference on Thursday.
“But yesterday, it felt like we were in a training field playing a friendly. But we knew that we were competing for the points with Cape Town Spurs.
“We knew that we needed to get maximum points playing at home so that we could move up the log and it felt like we went back to COVID-19. But then we just needed to share our own experiences coming from different clubs and how it felt like playing without fans.
“So, we knew that we needed this win so that it can boost our confidence going into the derby.”
The Phefeni Glamour Boys will aim to stretch their winning streak when facing Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby on Saturday, 11 November. The match takes place at the FNB Stadium at 3:30 pm.
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