Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Joseph Molangoane outlined several factors he believes lead to players struggling at Naturena. Over the past decade, Chiefs have frequently been labelled a club that signs mediocre players, especially when compared to rivals Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Heading into the 2025/26 season, some of Amakhosi’s regular critics felt the club’s latest list of signings suggested somewhat of an upgrade in quality. That said, Chiefs are yet to truly catch fire. A number of new arrivals are still waiting for their debuts, more than three months after putting pen to paper.
Domestically, the league campaign has been fairly respectable, with six wins from 11 matches, leaving Amakhosi in fourth place on the log. In the CAF Confederation Cup, however, where expectations and motivation have been high, Chiefs have stumbled, opening with a 2–1 defeat before a fortunate 1–1 draw against Al Masry and Zamalek SC, respectively.
MOLANGOANE: ‘EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY FOR CHIEFS’
Beyond questions about the technical bench, Molangoane believes player suitability and talent level remain key issues.
“You know, problem ukuthi, everyone wants to play for Chiefs, so when players come up against Chiefs, they display their A game,” Molangoane told FARPost.
“They make sure. And then they sign him at Chiefs only to find that they left behind their best quality on that day they played against them.
“This makes things difficult for management and everyone else. It is a big team, and there is so much pressure,” the former winger added.
Molangoane also addressed why some players who have featured for big clubs like Sundowns struggle to cope at Naturena.
“The pressure at Chiefs is so massive. The size of the fanbase is not the same. You can play for Sundowns, and people still won’t recognise you in the streets; they can just walk past you. But for Chiefs, it is a different story. You experience the pressure on the streets and in shopping centres. It becomes difficult.”
On whether mentality or talent makes the difference, Molangoane was clear that Amakhosi demand something extra.
“Chiefs need an exclusive talent. You have to be exclusive. You have to be special,” Molangoane added.
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