Category Archives: Kaizer Chiefs

10 Reasons Gavin Hunt’s Kaizer Chiefs Is Performing So Bad

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Gavin Hunt’s first season at Kaizer Chiefs has been, to put it politely, underwhelming. It may be fitting to call it a disaster, here are the 10 reasons why:

1. Not Being Able To Sign Players

Kaizer Chiefs were unable to sign players for the last two transfer windows due to a FIFA transfer ban. It’s always difficult for a new coach to succeed at a new team without being able to make personnel changes that he sees fit. 

2. The Goalkeeping Situation

Gavin Hunt’s two goalkeeping options at Kaizer Chiefs: Daniel Akpeyi and Itumeleng Khune, have not performed well this season. Akpeyi is known to have butterfingers and Khune this season has made some uncharacteristic mistakes that cost them points. In addition to their goalkeeping errors, Gavin Hunt constant rotation of the two could not be helping the situation. 

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3. Defensive Mistakes 

Gavin Hunt has lamented the mistakes of his defence. Nowadays, it has become too easy to score against Kaizer Chiefs. Should we blame the defensive coaching or should we blame the lack of quality defenders? We do not have the answer to that question yet. 

4. Kaizer Chief’s Squad’s Confidence

Gavin Hunt adopted a team that was low on confidence. After being on top of the table for 90% of the 2019/2020 season, Kaizer Chiefs lost the league title on the last matchday to Mamelodi Sundowns. That must have been a traumatic experience for most of the squad. Players low on confidence second guess every decision they make on the field. They would be better suited to play on instinct. 

5. No Supporters Being Allowed in the Stadium

It may not be a big deal for other DSTV Premiership teams but it is for Kaizer Chiefs. Amakhosi supporters pack stadiums where ever their team plays. Crowd support plays a role in giving confidence to players. 

6. Gavin Hunt’s Rigid Tactics

Kaizer Chiefs have become somewhat predictable under coach Gavin Hunt. All you have to do as an opposing coach is put your best defender on their centre forward (Castro or Nurkovic) set your team up narrow, force them to go wide, and be the first man to the ball when they cross it. 

7. Kaizer Chief’s Experienced Players Under-Performing

Itumeleng Khune, Samir Nurković, Lebogang Manyama, Willard Katsande (in his defence, he has hardly played), Eric Mathoho, Daniel Akpeyi, and Benard Parker have all had sub-par seasons. 

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8. Gavin Hunt Playing Players in Wrong Positions

Daniel Cardoso is not a central midfielder, Njabulo Blom is not a central midfielder, Siyabonga Ngezana is not a fullback. 

9. Gavin Hunt Playing Players That Are Off Form

As mentioned before, some of his senior players have not come to the party but Gavin Hunt has insisted on playing them and not going other players a chance. 

10. Gavin Hunt’s Reliance On Samir Nurkovic and Castro

It may be that Gavin Hunt needs them for his game plan but there doesn’t seem to be a plan B. Both strikers are target men who are physical and good headers of the ball but they are one-dimensional. Kaizer Chiefs may need another strategy to employ when their strikers aren’t having the best of games. 

By Cheez

Don’t forget to tune into ‘The Soccer Podcast With No Name’ podcast every Thursdays at 17h00 pm. Also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

 

Gavin Hunt Says Itumleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi Have Cost Chiefs All Season

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I did say Gavin Hunt is going to have goalkeeping issues at the start of his career as Kaizer Chiefs coach. No, I am not psychic or a Sangoma (even though I am pretty good at picking winners with my bets, listen to my podcast Cheez on Sports on Fridays to make money with yours). This is an issues Chiefs had last season under then-coach Ernst Middendorp. Gavin Hunt feels his goalkeeping duo of Itumeleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi have been a big reason for his team’s bad results this season. 

Yesterday Kaizer Chiefs drew 2-2 against Stellenbosch. In his post-game interview, Coach Gavin Hunt bemoaned the type of goals conceded.

All in all disappointed with the result, I thought we’ve got to do better than that and see these games out,

But they obviously got a foothold in the game after getting the early goal and then once we get an equaliser, we went down 2-1 again.

The second goal was a real schoolboy error. The same position again as well, really bad defending and it’s something that has cost us all season.

Like I said we were chasing the game and there has been two areas of the pitch that has cost us the whole season.

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The ‘two areas’ being the defence and the goalkeeping position. Gavin Hunt has seen both Itumeleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi make mistakes that cost them games. 

Former South Africa number 1 Itumeleng Khune is low on confidence. He has picked up a violent case of Butter-Fingeritis. Daniel Akypeyi is Gavin Hunt’s preferred goalkeeper but his errors are even more comical. 

Gavin Hunt should pick a goalkeeper and stick with him through his mistakes. Goalkeepers are creatures of habit and this constant chopping of the two kills their confidence and rhythm. 

By Cheez

Five Question That Will Define Gavin Hunt’s First Season as Kaizer Chiefs Coach

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At the end of last season, Kaizer Chiefs fired head coach Ernst Middendorp after losing the league title on the last matchday. Amakhosi needed only three points against relegation-threatened Baroka to win the title. They drew (1-1), their supporters cried, and German mentor sealed his fate.

In mid-September, Kaizer Chiefs announced Gavin Hunt as their new coach. The arrival of Hunt, South African football second-most winningest coach, breathed new hope in a deflated fanbase.

Gavin Hunt, however, has begun his Glamour Boys adventure in the worst possible way. His team has lost three, drawn one, and won two of its first six games. In those matches, they have scored three goals (two set pieces and one own goal) and conceded nine. Kaizer Chiefs’ performances have ranged between “not too shabby” to “this is the worst I’ve seen a Kaizer Chiefs team play in my life”.

Amakhosi cannot make any signings this season because of their FIFA imposed transfer ban. This is the squad Gavin Hunt is going to have to encourage to play better than “not too shabby”. Let’s take a look at the Kaizer Chiefs picture—and the factors that could shape their future under their new coach:

  1. What is the Kaizer Chiefs management expecting from Gavin Hunt this season?

Gavin Hunt was a free agent after Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila F.C. (TTM) bought the PSL status of his previous team, Bidvest Wits. It took days of negotiations for Kaizer Chiefs to meet Hunt’s demands. Satisfied with what Chiefs were offering, the 56-year-old put pen to paper and signed on as their new head coach.

Having a coach like Gavin Hunt doesn’t come cheap but you’ll probably get what you pay for. Hunt’s reputation comes before him, he has won four league titles and four trophies in South African football.

What would the Chiefs top brass consider to be a good season for the team?

Amakhosi are a big team who should compete for every available trophy, every season. Ernst Middendorp got Kaizer Chiefs, with the same players, to 30 minutes away from winning the league. It would only be fair for Hunt, a far more accomplished coach, to do him one better or to at least win a cup.

But, Gavin Hunt has inherited a team low on confidence. The loss last season did have an effect on them, you can see it in their performances in the first few games. Without the ability to bring in new players to lift spirits and quality of play, it would only be fair to give Gavin Hunt a bit more time.

  1. What are the supporters expecting from Gavin Hunt this season?

Kaizer Chiefs fans celebrated (on social media anyway) as if they won the league after their new coach was announced. They put their team’s heart-breaking slip up on the last day of the season behind them, and looked toward a brighter future, filled with trophies and happy face emoji’s.

What would Chiefs fans consider to be a good season for their team?

Amakhosi supporters may have rejoiced a bit too early and also misjudged the type of season they had under Ernst Middendorp. Yes, they didn’t win anything in their last campaign but they did well considering the talent pool the German coach had at his disposal. Middendorp was working with a small ageing squad that had not been replenished with top talent in years. He worked miracles to get them playing as effectively as they did.

Mamelodi Sundowns (3-0) and Orlando Pirates (3-0 and 0-2) have already exposed Kaizer Chiefs’ lack of quality and squad depth this season. These three losses against their closest rivals hurt but I have not seen or heard a Chiefs supporter placing the blame at Gavin Hunt’s feet – yet. Kaizer Chiefs are now in their six-season without silverware. Their trophy cabinet is gathering dust, their supporters are the butt of memes and not-so-funny TikTok videos. Will the fans be okay with another cup-less campaign? How much longer will Chiefs fans take the abuse from their opposing peers before they are grumblings of discontent?

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We Might Know Whats Wrong With Chiefs But What’s Up With Sundowns?

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Drama. That’s the one word I use to describe this weekend’s installment of the PSL title race. Actually, now that I think about it, the word should be ‘comedy’ because as a neutral I was laughing at the unfortunate circumstances Chiefs and Sundowns both found themselves in.😆😆

Log leaders Kaizer Chiefs lost 1-0 via a 94th-minute Bidvest Wits goal. Sundowns wasted a chance to leapfrog Amakhosi for the first time this season when they too lost 0-1 to a relegation threaten Baroka FC a few hours later.

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It seems as though both teams are choking when the pressure is at its highest. The dip in form for Kaizer Chiefs doesn’t come as a surprise to me. No, I am not psychic. Chiefs are not much of an offensive threat and their defence has holes in it. Sundowns, on the other hand, are more of an interesting story. They are the reigning champions. They have been here before. Their last two championship-winning seasons went down to the wire. That team managed to win important games at the business end of the season. This team is floundering against the likes of Baroka (no offence).

We will never know what is going on behind the scenes but there is clearly something wrong with Sundowns. Chiefs faults may be bigger so Sundowns may win the championship by default.

By @chizfootball (the greatest footy journo on the internet)

Sundowns Park The Bus Against Chiefs – And It Worked

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Last night Mamelodi Sundowns beat Kaizer Chiefs to go level on points with Amakhosi on top the PSL log. As interesting as the result may be the intriguing part of it is how they did it.

Well, maybe I shouldn’t use the word ‘intriguing’ because scoring one goal and then defending it for the rest of the game isn’t ‘intriguing’ at all. It’s actually quite negative and boring.  But what made it fascinating was who was doing it.

Mamelodi Sundowns came into yesterday’s game knowing that anything less than a win would surely mean the end of their title hopes. Pitso Mosimane tried convincing us in his pre-match interview that the game ‘isn’t a title decider‘. We didn’t fall for his lousy acting and figured Sundowns would come out guns blazing.

Surprisingly, they didn’t. In the first half, Downs only used four players (Sirino, Zwane, Meza, and Mkhulise) in attack whilst the rest of the team stayed behind the ball. It seemed as though Pitso may have been playing not lose the game rather than to win it. 

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In the 34th minute, Gaston Sirino caught the Chiefs defense napping when he ran onto the end of Zwane’s clever flick to score. This is when Pitso called for the team’s bus driver to park the team bus in front of their goal for the remainder of the match. Chiefs huffed and puffed but they could blow the Sundowns mansion down.

Parking the bus is not a new thing in football. I hate it, but teams have to do what they have to do. I, however, didn’t expect it from a team with the most talented squad in the league who also happen to the defending champions. This is the most negative I’ve seen Sundowns play and was disappointed.

Kaizer Chiefs are still top of the log on goal difference but have the tougher last three-game. Last night’s match sealed the fate of the championship. Sundowns will be crowned champions.

By @chizfootball (the greatest footy journo on the internet)

Chiefs v Sundowns: Who Has The Upper Hand Going Into Tonight’s Title Decider?

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Tonight log leaders Kaizer Chiefs face second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns in an Absa Premiership title decider. Kaizer Chiefs are at the top of the PSL table with 53 points, Mamelodi Sundowns are behind them by 3 points. 

Like I said yesterday, I believe if Sundowns win this game, they win the title. If Kaizer Chiefs win this game, they win the title. If this game ends in a draw, Kaizer Chiefs win the title.

Let me start off by stating the obvious, Mamelodi Sundowns need the 3 points more than Kaizer Chiefs do. This should worry Pitso Mosimane because his team has been trash post-lockdown. They recorded one loss, three draws, and only one win. That’s 6 out of a possible 15 points.

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BUT! Sundowns go into this title decider after a morale-boosting win against a negative Golden Arrows team on Monday. Sundowns haven’t clicked in attack as of yet but the team has started playing better in the past couple of games.

Kaizer Chiefs have had an equally disappointing post lockdown run, picking up 5 from a possible 12. In all fairness, Ernst Middendorp’s team had been below standard even before the Coronavirus. It seems as though teams have figured out their one-dimensional play of crosses and set pieces.

Speaking of set pieces, tonight they will be without Samir Nurković and Leonardo Castro. The loss of their aerial threat from set-plays is a huge loss for Kaizer Chiefs. 

Sundowns have struggled to breakdown teams with well-structured defences. They have even struggled even more to stop teams from catching them on the counter-attack.  Will Ernst Middendorp is brave enough to replace his two good but slow strikers with an average but pacier attack. Kambole, Billiat, and Zuma might do the trick. Scrapping the 3-5-2 for a 4-3-3, and playing on the counter-attack.

With all that being said, you’d have to say Mamelodi Sundowns has the edge going into the game. Kaizer Chiefs confidence is low and their defence leaks goals for fun. They have conceded 7 goals in their 4 bubble games. Chiefs have scored 6 on the other end but four of them have been from through set-pieces and they are without two of their best headers of the ball. I don’t see how Chiefs will score and how they will keep out one of the best attacks in the league. 

By @chizfootball (the greatest footy journo on the internet)

Chiefs v Sundowns: Absa Premiership Cup Final

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Let’s begin by getting the ‘facts’ out of the way. If Sundowns win this game, they win the title. If Kaizer Chiefs win this game, they win the title. If this game ends in a draw, Kaizer Chiefs win the title. As you can see Mamelodi Sundowns need to win this game more than Kaizer Chiefs does. 

You: “…but after the game, there will still be three games left to play so…’🤷🏿‍♂️

Yes, I know but the result of this game will do one of two things: crush Kaizer Chiefs’ flakey moral or deal a death blow to Mamelodi Sundowns’ confidence. I don’t see any team recovering from an unfavourable result plus I’m a psychic. 

As the title says this is a cup final. Do or die. Wafa-wafa. Sure, Kaizer Chiefs have the advantage because they don’t need to win BUT, they’d be foolish to go in this looking for a draw. Mamelodi Sundowns got lucky on Monday with their last gasp win against Golden Arrows. Their confidence will be reaching its peak. 

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Kaizer Chiefs as currently constructed cannot match Sundowns pound for pound. They’d get knocked out before the first water break. It’s not that Chiefs don’t have good players, it’s just that they have not being utilized correctly (that’s another story for another writer).

The suspension of their leading goal scorer Samir Nurković and striker Leonardo Castro’s injury concerns are big blows. However, Sundowns aren’t great at defending quick counter-attacks. Ernst Middendorp may choose to replace the unavailable strikers with forwards that have pace.  

We’ll chat more about which team has the upper hand going into the huge clash tomorrow.

By @chizfootball (the greatest footy journo on the internet)

6 Questions About The Restart Of The PSL Championship Race

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Remember the PSL? Well, it’s back. I answer 6 questions about the restart, including who has the most pressure to win the PSL championship and many more.

1. Who is the team with momentum?

Mamelodi Sundowns.

It’s difficult to talk about momentum because no team has played a competitive football match for four and a half months. Going into the lockdown Sundowns had won four of their five league games.

2. Which team has benefited from the break?

Kaizer Chiefs.

Amakhosi went it to the lockdown on a run of two wins, two losses, and one draw in their last five PSL games – that isn’t championship-winning form.

Four and a half months is a long time. This feels like a new season. The time will surely rejuvenate Ernst Middendorp’s team to refocus. 

3. Who will Kaizer Chiefs replace Maluleka with?

Kearyn Baccus is a decent player. He is actually pretty good but injuries kept him out for much of the season. Baccus might not have Maluleka’s passing range but he makes up for it with his other attributes. 

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Losing To Pirates Was The Worst Outcome For Mamelodi Sundowns

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A strange thing happened yesterday. For the first time ever, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates supporters came together and supported the latter in their quest to (a.) not lose against Mamelodi Sundowns and (b.) preferably beat them. 

Mamelodi Sundowns came into the game nine points behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs with a game in hand. A loss against Pirates would equal the number of matches played with Chiefs but the lead would stay intact. Downs went a goal down in the first half and never recovered. 

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