Cedric Kaze’s blunt admission as Kaizer Chiefs top-three chase stutters

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze admitted his side suffered a “Soweto Derby hangover” after their unbeaten run came to a crashing halt in a 2-0 defeat to Siwelele FC in the Betway Premiership at the Free State Stadium.

The Soweto giants arrived in Bloemfontein looking to solidify their standing in the CAF qualification spots, having extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches following a gruelling 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Orlando Pirates on Sunday.

However, that momentum evaporated quickly on Wednesday night. A clinical Siwelele side took full advantage of a sluggish Chiefs display, effectively ending the contest in the first half with goals from Tebogo Potsane and Siphesihle Jeza.

The result leaves Chiefs’ grip on a top-three finish looking increasingly fragile. While they remain third with 47 points, the gap between them and fourth-placed AmaZulu has been trimmed to just five points ahead of a massive showdown in Durban on May 16.

‘THE REACTION WAS TOO LATE’ – CHIEFS’ KAZE

A visibly frustrated Kaze did not hold back in his post-match assessment, suggesting the squad struggled to mentally pivot away from the intensity of the Derby.

“I would say that we didn’t pitch up in the first half,” Kaze conceded. “We got punished, and we tried to react in the second half… but I feel like we were not at our best tonight.

“I think it was one of those bad games we have played, especially in the first half. We emphasised in the last two days that we need to switch our minds from the Soweto Derby and concentrate on this game, but it wasn’t the case. We got punished, and the reaction was too late.”

Kaze identified the inability to reset after big matches as a primary concern for the club’s development. “It is one of the areas we need to improve as a club going forward,” he added.

There is little time for Chiefs to lick their wounds. The schedule offers no favours as they travel to Loftus Versfeld on May 6 to face runaway league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

With Sundowns continuing their march toward another title and AmaZulu breathing down their necks, Chiefs must find a way to shake off their “hangover” or risk dropping out of the top three in the final weeks of the campaign.