Three losses in three matches, zero goals scored and six conceded, equals disaster for Kaizer Chiefs.
And when they host their nemesis, Royal AM at Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, nothing but three points will be enough for Amakhosi, as they look to mount a challenge for second position and a place in the Champions League next season.
But the odds are stacked against Arthur Zwane’s men.
The two sides have met three times, with Royal AM winning on all three encounters. Based on current form, it would take something special from Kaizer Chiefs to come away with all three points on Sunday.
While Thwihli Thwahlas are also also not convincing, having won one, drawn one, and lost one in their last three matches, one can always count on them to beat Amakhosi.
Despite playing some good attacking football, and creating an avalanche of goal-scoring opportunities, poor finishing has been Amakhosi’s Achilles heel.
Their shortcomings in front of goal have left their coach, Arthur Zwane sounding like a broken record in post-match interviews, and it has become embarrassing.
But it was his, and Yusuf Maart’s utterances to the media yesterday, that left many Amakhosi fans deflated and without any hopes of ending their three-match losing streak on Sunday
“Our supporters are used to winning, there’s that culture of winning. Unfortunately, they [fans] forget about certain things but we don’t blame them because we’ve spoilt them. In the past we’ve been in a situation like this [where they go many years without winning trophies],” Zwane said.
“Just before the Operation Vat Alles [in the early 2000s], a season before, it was a struggle and we didn’t win anything but we went all the way to become No 2 and the following season we won Mandela Cup, Coca-Cola Cup, BP Top8. We are in the process of building a team that will do very well in the future.”
“Being here all these years has helped me to be able to deal with the pressure. I won’t take the pressure to the players but I will absorb all the pressure as the leader,” the Amakhosi coach said.
Zwane, it seems, has accepted the current situation at Amakhosi, and expects the supporters to do the same.
The players too are following in their coach’s footsteps, if what Yusuf Maart said is anything to go by.
“You can’t take away what they [Sundowns] have. They’ve been winning, and we’ve also been trying to but our luck hasn’t been there this term. But maybe it’s something that we need to work on as a team. If they run away with the league, then that’s that. There’s nothing we can do about it,” Maart said during yesterday’s media open day at their training base in Naturena.
“The year didn’t start well for us. And from my own point of view, we are getting chances and everything, but we can’t score due to being unlucky.”
“At the end of the day, it’s the Almighty [who makes things for you to happen] and there are things you can’t control. You can’t be upset about things that are out of your hands. If it’s not there, it’s not there, life continues,” Maart continued.
Kaizer Chiefs are a team low on self-belief, and that doesn’t help the situation at all.
Failure to win on Sunday might be the last stroke for many of their supporters who are fed up with Mangethe ball, and no excuse will make sense at all.
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