Durban — They say a week is a long time in football, and for Kaizer Chiefs, the past two weekends must still feel heavy on their shoulders as a potentially positive conclusion to the season may have just gone bust.
Amakhosi’s most recent defeat to Soweto rivals Swallows FC in the league, and a semi-final exit from the Nedbank Cup at the hands of Orlando Pirates, has ruled out a possible return to the CAF Champions League and an opportunity to take home any silverware, respectively.
This means the Naturena-based club are now going to suffer a ninth year without a trophy.
Chiefs, led by an under-pressure head coach Arthur Zwane, will next take to the field readying themselves for perhaps their only ‘cup final’ this season: a huge clash against SuperSport United.
The Royal Bafokeng Stadium has been selected as the venue to host this titanic battle on Saturday at 3pm (SuperSport are still unable to host matches at the Lucas Moripe Stadium).
If Amakhosi aren’t able to secure a win against Matsatsantsa, it would all but confirm that they would be missing out on the CAF Confederation Cup.
Third-placed SuperSport, who themselves still harbour aspirations of pipping Pirates to the CAF Champions League, currently hold all the cards as their four-point gap over Chiefs provides a reasonable cushion with two games of the season remaining.
Gavin Hunt and his men have accumulated 48 points in their 28 games in what has been an abnormal campaign for many clubs.
Zwane, on the other hand, has guided Chiefs to 44 points, a feat he feels is underestimated when compared to the club’s previous campaign.
The 49-year-old also stated that missing out on qualifying for both CAF competitions would not signal failure, having had a list of other progressive achievements acquired over the course of the season.
“If it (finishing third to qualify for the Confed Cup) didn’t happen, it doesn’t mean it was a bad season altogether. I think with the new squad and also giving a lot of youngsters (opportunities), coming from our own development, it’s been a good season,” Zwane told the media.
IOL Sport