Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane is gazing upon reaching his first taste of a cup final as Chiefs’ Senior team head coach, since taking over the reins from Stuart Baxter in April.
Amakhosi are on the verge of reaching the MTN8 final for the first time in seven seasons, having last won the top eight tournament title under former coach Baxter in the 2013/14 campaign.
As the Soweto giants lock horns with AmaZulu in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final in Durban, this will be the first attempt to reach the final for Zwane as this is the first competition of the season.
Ahead of the game, 10111 as he is affectionately known, spoke to the Chiefs media department on views of the upcoming last-gasp tie.
“We have assembled a very good squad of young and experienced players, and we are on a mission. We really want to be in the final,” Zwane told the Chiefs’ website.
“We stand a good chance, and it’s all up to us now to go onto the field and deliver. I believe the boys will come out on top come Sunday. I think mental strength will be a crucial factor, and we have shown we have the character to prevail.
“We must take the game to them and make sure we win the game, whether it’s 1-0, 2-1 or 3-2. It doesn’t matter. We just must win.
Zwane also highlighted that he and his technical team, together with their troops know the ambitions of the club, and hopes they will stick together and embrace the challenge of facing AmaZulu as a potential pathway to the final.
“We are part of a Club with a great history which is about winning. We know very well that we must win games, and we have to win trophies. I wouldn’t be here as a coach if I had doubts that we’ll win trophies, or that I would bring in players that didn’t have the character to play for a Club of Kaizer Chiefs’ stature. Once we get to the semi-final, we know we are expected to go all the way to the final. Also, we know that this is the right time for the new players to understand what Kaizer Chiefs is about,” he explained.
“The same applies to us, as the technical staff. It gives us the confidence to know we are competing at this level. We believe in ourselves. We always give of our best whenever we get the opportunity to showcase our talent. We have a very good team, that we believe can take us through to the final.”
Chiefs visit Usuthu at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Sunday, with the game scheduled for 15h30.