Hans Vonk: “Kaizer Chiefs should return where they belong”

Former South Africa’s senior national football team goalkeeper, Hans Vonk, has said it is high time Kaizer Chiefs returned ‘to where they belong’ after many seasons of underperformance.

The ex-Bafana Bafana’s number one shared his thoughts on AmaKhosi after following their performances in pre-season games in the Netherlands.

The man, who earned 43 caps with South Africa, said he was particularly impressed by Chiefs’ organization in the four warm up games they have played in Europe.

“I really hope that Chiefs will be able to return to the level where they belong. And with that, I mean, being competitive and challenging for trophies,” Vonk told Chiefs’ media.

The former Ajax Cape Town star watched the Betway Premiership side beating Dutch Eredivisie’s PEC Zwolle 1-0 in Meppel on Tuesday evening.

Vonk, who last played for Ajax Cape Town in 2011, attributed Chiefs’ two back-to-back defeats going into Tuesday’s game to adaptation.

“I can imagine that the players needed to adjust to the pitches in their first few friendly matches in Holland,” he added.

“The fields here are softer compared to what they are used to in South Africa. The ball circulation is also quicker, especially when facing quality Eredivisie sides. It’s something the players needed to adapt to.

“I am not really interested in those losses. It’s pre-season and that’s all about getting ready for the season. Besides that, the players had to adapt to the different circumstances in Holland and the strong Dutch opponents they played against.”

Chiefs had lost 2-1 to Vitesse, FC Utrecht (4-0) and NEC Nijmegen (1-0) before bouncing back to win on their fourth attempt on Tuesday.

The Glamour Boys will continue with their pre-season by playing against Asante Kotoko of Ghana in the Toyota Cup at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on 26 July 2025.