‘If you look at the bigger picture of the project, they’re heading in the right direction,’ former Chiefs captain Willard Katsande told FarPost.
Kaizer Chiefs face a difficult opening salvo in the Betway Premiership on Sunday, when they take on Steve Barker’s Stellenbosch FC at the Cape Town Stadium.
ALSO READ: Appollis chuffed with dream start to Pirates career
Amakhosi had an unwanted weekend off due to their non-participation in the MTN8. This was after Nasreddine Nabi’s side finished ninth in the Premiership last season.
Never-say-die Stellies
Stellenbosch, meanwhile, showed why they have developed a never-say-die reputation. Stellie saw off AmaZulu 3-2 after extra time on Sunday to set up an MTN8 semifinal against Sekhukhune United.
Sanele Barns’ brace and Langelihle Phili’s extra time strike were enough to see off Arthur Zwane’s Usuthu.
Chiefs signed a host of new players in the off-season, while there were plenty of outgoings too. Nabi’s side had a pre-season camp in the Netherlands. They then played the Toyota Cup against Asante Kotoko, losing on penalties after a goalless draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Chiefs played fairly well in Durban. But were haunted by problems of the past. They wasted opportunities to put the game to bed. It remains to be seen if Nabi is the man to turn their fortunes around in the Premiership.
The Tunisian did lead Chiefs to their first trophy in a decade in the form of the 2024 Nedbank Cup. But Chiefs desperately need to mount more of a challenge at the top of the table this season.
One man who does believe Chiefs are on the right path is their former skipper and midfield maestro Willard Katsande.
“Obviously everybody’s entitled to their opinion, but if you look at the bigger picture of the project, they’re heading in the right direction,” Katsande told FarPost.
As for Chiefs’ goalscoring problems, former Amakhosi assistant coach Farouk Khan believes they could look at signing free agents Zakhele Lepasa and Dzenan Zajmovic.
Zajmovic scored 11 goals in all competitions for TS Galaxy last season, but they released him at the end of the campaign.
Lepasa a ‘good gamble’ for Chiefs
Lepasa, meanwhile, was released by Orlando Pirates ahead of the new season.
“If you look at Lepasa, he’s more of a false nine coming from deep. He was injured most of last season, he didn’t play one game for the complete duration. But we know Hugo Broos saw some quality, that’s why he chose him for Bafana setup,” Khan told Soccerbeat’s YouTube channel.
“I think if he’s … free, it’s a good gamble for me.
ALSO READ: Sundowns reject offer for Mudau
“Zajmovic at Galaxy showed a lot of goal-scoring prowess, he’s good in the air, good on the feet, good decision-making,” he added.