It’s been a challenging few weeks for Kaizer Chiefs. The club has had to deal with growing calls from fans for co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef to be sacked, a fan march, and four straight defeats that ended a promising CAF Confederation Cup campaign.
Chiefs also recently failed to defend their Nedbank Cup title, adding to the frustration around the club.
On Thursday morning, the club opened its doors to the media at Naturena as the team stepped up preparations for Sunday’s Betway Premiership clash against Durban City FC. It’s an important match for Amakhosi as a win could lift them back into third place on the table.
Sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr has made it clear that finishing in the top two is the club’s main objective this season. Chiefs actually made their best start to a campaign in several years, but the last four matches have been a major setback.
With a crucial game coming up, there were a few interesting things to notice at the Village on Thursday during Amakhosi’s media open day. Here are six that stood out ahead of the Durban City FC clash.
1. BRANDON PETERSEN AS CHEERFUL AS EVER
Brandon Petersen was spotted at training, casually dressed in his own gear. The goalkeeper cheered on his teammates from the sidelines as they trained with goalkeeping coach Ilyes Mzoughi. He’s reportedly been given the green light to start training again and might rejoin the squad after the Durban City FC match.
Just days before the Soweto Derby, he underwent surgery, but he’s back and bouncing as cheerful as ever, greeting each journalist like an old friend. That’s just the kind of incredible person the Amakhosi skipper is.
2. SOME GOOD NEWS ON IGHODARO, VILAKAZI AND FROSLER
There was also good news on the training front, with Etiosa Ighodaro, Reeve Frosler, and Mfundo Vilakazi all taking part in full-team training. “We are having Ighodaro that is coming back; he’s been training, he and Reeve, for the past week, but they are not physically ready yet to feature in the game,” said Kaze recently.
Mfundo Vilakazi has missed Chiefs’ last two games due to injury. Motaung Jr dismissed reports that the 20-year-old attacker, together with Mduduzi Shabalala, was frozen out due to disciplinary issues. Vilakazi is fully back in training after his little knock that he got against Stellenbosch. Meanwhile, Miguel Inacio was also part of the group, while Nkanyiso Shinga, who recently had surgery, was a notable absentee.
3. MABOE DISMISSES DIVIDED DRESSING ROOM CLAIMS
Amid recent results, talk had arisen that the Chiefs’ dressing room might be divided, but Lebo Maboe dismissed those claims. “There’s no such thing as a lost dressing room,” Maboe said when asked about the technical team’s standing.
“These are our coaches, and these are our leaders. As players, we share the same goal, helping the team get maximum points and win every game. It’s just unfortunate that the results over the past three weeks have overshadowed the work we’ve been doing for the last four months. This is the situation we’re facing right now, but we’re confident we can turn the corner.”
4. CEDRIC KAZE DEFIANT
Kaze also remained defiant when discussing the team’s ambitions for the season. “From my side, finishing in the top three would already be an amazing achievement, but finishing in the top two would be a miracle,” Kaze admitted. “We’re working every day to finish as high on the table as possible.”
He also urged supporters to be patient, emphasising that rebuilding a team takes time.
“That’s why we rely on you to help get the message across to the fans. A football team isn’t built overnight; it’s a process. And I’m not saying the process is starting now; it actually began a few years ago.”
5. DILLON SHEPPARD WITH CO-COACHES
Another notable figure spotted at training was Dillon Sheppard, who spent time alongside the co-coaches during the session, a possible indication that he could be working closely with the technical team. He has previously served as assistant to Arthur Zwane, Gavin Hunt and Cavin Johnson.
6. RUSHWIN DORTLEY STILL ON THE MEND
Rushwin Dortley was seen at the Village, where he continues to do his recovery. The 23-year-old centre-back has still not fully recovered from the procedure. He was not training with the rest of the team, indicating he is still in the process of fully recovering from revision surgery on his knee.
This has been a harsh setback for the defender, who had just begun establishing himself as an important figure for both club and country before his injury. His steady career rise has now halted, significantly affecting his ambitions to play at the FIFA World Cup this year.
RELATED STORY: Cavin Johnson reacts to Baxter’s claims of boardroom interference at Chiefs