Chiefs’ biggest problem: Kaze laments blunt attack after goalless draw

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has identified a glaring lack of ruthlessness in front of goal as the primary concern threatening to derail the club’s season following yet another frustrating result.

The Soweto giants were held to a goalless 0-0 draw by Siwelele FC in a Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night. The stalemate marks the third consecutive match in which Chiefs have failed to find the net, extending their dry spell to 300 minutes (including extra time from their recent cup exit).

This difficult patch has added pressure on Amakhosi, who have already been knocked out of the Carling Knockout Cup. While they maintain fourth spot on the league table, they trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by five points, having played one game less.

The Chiefs Blunt Attack

Speaking after the match, Kaze acknowledged the toll taken by a demanding schedule but was clear about where his team fell short.

“It’s been a tough week with all the games every three days. It’s very hard to keep the consistency,” Kaze noted. “I feel like defensively we were a little bit unbalanced and we let the opponent get in the position of crossing, in the position of box [entries].”

However, the bigger issue, according to the coach, is the finishing.

“We had the opportunities to score and you don’t have to play well everyday, but you just need to put the ball in the net,” he insisted. “But unfortunately, we don’t seem to be clinical enough, [not] lucky enough in front of the net. But the only thing is to keep working and I’m pretty sure that it will come.”

Even fresh attacking combinations, including trying to integrate debutant Etiosa Ighiodaro with Wandile Dube, failed to spark the offense. Late introductions of substitutes Khanyisa Mayo and Glody Lilepo also failed to alter the scoreline.

Kaze conceded that, especially playing at home, his side should have capitalized on the chances created.

“We are at home, we are Kaizer Chiefs and we had the ball and opportunities to score. We were controlling the game and I think we had to do better,” he admitted.

Chiefs must now rapidly address their scoring crisis as they face a crucial turnaround. Their next match is a CAF Confederation Cup second leg against AS Simba on Saturday. Following a 0-0 draw away, Amakhosi must win or avoid a scoring draw at Dobsonville Stadium to prevent an early elimination from continental competition.