Kaze speaks out on Kaizer Chiefs’ title credentials

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has moved to pour cold water on the growing title talk surrounding Naturena, despite the club moving into second place on the Betway Premiership standings.

Following a gritty 1-0 victory over Marumo Gallants at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium on Wednesday night—secured by a second-half thunderbolt from Glody Lilepo—Kaizer Chiefs have officially vaulted into the upper echelons of the Premiership. The win wasn’t just about the three points; it was a statement of intent that saw the Glamour Boys leapfrog arch-rivals Orlando Pirates to claim second spot on the log.

This isn’t the same fragile Chiefs side that supporters endured during the lean years. Having finally ended their agonising decade-long trophy drought by lifting the 2024/25 Nedbank Cup last May—defeating Orlando Pirates 2-1 in a memorable final—the club has rediscovered the taste of gold. That victory acted as a psychological barrier-breaker, providing the foundation for the current 2025/26 campaign.

Now, sitting on 30 points after 15 matches, they trail perennial champions Mamelodi Sundowns by a mere two points. For the first time in years, the conversation has shifted from “rebuilding” to “challenging.”

A statistical resurrection – Kaizer Chiefs

The current trajectory is a total revival for a club that recently struggled to even crack the top eight. However, co-coach Cedric Kaze is refusing to get swept up in the hysteria of a potential title charge. Speaking after the Gallants clash, Kaze was quick to dampen expectations, preferring to focus on the cold, hard numbers of their progression.

“At the end of last season, we had 32 points after 28 games; now we are on 30 points with 15 games,” Kaze noted, highlighting the massive statistical upswing. “I feel it’s a big improvement, but we still have big room for improvement, and we are going to compete every game.”

The win in Bloemfontein was a classic “championship-contender” performance—winning ugly on a surface that was less than ideal. While some might have used the pitch as an excuse, Kaze insisted that a team of Chiefs’ stature cannot afford such luxuries.

“We are a big team, we need to play in every condition that we find ourselves in,” Kaze said. “I would say that this is a big win, and from what I saw today, I don’t think there are a lot of teams that are going to win on that field.”

Despite the optimism, the math remains complicated. While Kaizer Chiefs sit in second,  Pirates lurk just one point behind with two games in hand. The congestion at the top suggests that while Amakhosi have the points on the board, the race is far from a two-horse sprint.

For Kaze and the Kaizer Chiefs technical team, the mantra remains “one game at a time.” It is a pragmatic approach for a side still finding its rhythm under the new technical setup. But for the fans, emboldened by that 2025 Nedbank Cup triumph, the “title talk” isn’t going away—no matter how much cold water the coaching staff tries to pour on it.