Du Preez believes Chiefs are ready to end Sundowns’ dominance

In a bold declaration ahead of the new 2025/26 Betway Premiership season, Ashley Du Preez has stated his belief that Kaizer Chiefs can win the league title. The striker’s claim comes despite a challenging recent history for the Soweto giants.

Amakhosi’s rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns, have dominated the league for eight consecutive seasons, with Orlando Pirates finishing as runners-up in the last three. Meanwhile, Chiefs have struggled to secure a top-eight finish for the past two seasons.

Speaking to the club’s media on Thursday, Du Preez shared his optimism just days before the Amakhosi kick off their 2025/26 campaign against Stellenbosch FC. He credited the team’s positive outlook to a productive pre-season camp in the Netherlands, where they played against “high-level teams.”

Next Kaizer Chiefs Match!

🏆#BetwayPrem
⚽️Stellenbosch FC vs. Kaizer Chiefs
👕First Team
🗓️Sunday 10 August 2025
🏟Athlone Stadium
🕞17h30
📺SuperSport 202
🎟R80, Webtickets, PnP: https://t.co/bSK0shePWL
📢Please come early!#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome pic.twitter.com/HIZZ5m2fDM

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 6, 2025

“I think we can compete for the league with the first game,” Du Preez said. “We just have to, from day one, be 100 per cent sure that we can compete and win the league.”

This confident claim follows a mixed 2024/25 season for Chiefs under coach Nasreddine Nabi. The team ended their decade-long trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup, but their league performance was poor, finishing outside the top eight.

Du Preez believes the lessons learned from their pre-season matches will be crucial. “The way we played against the highest level teams in the Netherlands… we can take that experience to the league,” he explained.

With new signings and a return to continental football in the CAF Confederation Cup, Du Preez believes the squad is united and ready to bring back the club’s former glory. “We have energy, we have the same mindset in terms of what we want to achieve this season, so we just need to take that pre-season into the league and play every game on the highest level and compete,” he concluded.