Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Cole Alexander has opened up about the invisible struggles that often slow down midfielders as they try to settle and make an impact at the Soweto giants.
In Alexander’s views, the challenge is hardly about talent. Instead, it is about what happens after players arrive, the adaptation period, the higher expectation, and the mental weight that comes with wearing the Chiefs badge.
The Mitchells Plain-born player feels many midfielders at Chiefs are gifted enough to succeed, but need time to fully adapt to the environment before their best football starts to show.
That process, he says, is not always understood from the outside, where expectations are immediate, and patience is limited.
COLE ALEXANDER: IT HELPS TO HAVE CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY
Alexander, who has experienced the same pressure during his own spell at the 2025 Nedbank Cup champions, says the mental side of the game is often underestimated.
“It sounds like a cliche, but the new environment, culture and spotlight really do play a big role,” Alexander told FARPost. “It sometimes affects how you play. I was personally affected by that. It helps when you have the right combination of character, personality and career hardships before you arrive at a big club like Chiefs.
“All of the Chiefs midfielders, the way I know them, how they played at previous clubs. They are all capable and talented. They are very good, well-rounded players with both technical and tactical skills.”
‘FOOTBALL IS 70% THE MIND’ – COLE ALEXANDER
Alexander added: “My guess or assumption is that the challenges are in the mind. You know, I say this so much to the kids, we train the body so much and neglect the mind. They say football is 70% the mind, but how much do we train the mind? Not as much as we train the body.
“Joining clubs like Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, you need a good brain and a strong mentality. If I knew how to deal with my mind, I would not have failed at Chiefs.
“Yusuf Maart, with whom I played, had the mental strength. In my opinion, he has a great mentality, and they missed him. When things didn’t go his way, he bounced back very quickly. He was not afraid to try again,” he concluded.
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