Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has commented on the current situation the club find themselves in ahead of the Soweto Derby.
The Amakhosi are only three points behind their Soweto rivals but have only picked up one win in the DStv Premiership in 2023 after their 3-2 defeat to Golden Arrows on Sunday.
After the match, parts of the fans at Peter Mokaba Stadium booed their own team and were chanting “Arthur must go” in the direction of head coach and former player Arthur Zwane.
Kaizer Jr addressed the situation on Monday, calling for calm and support for the club’s players and technical team ahead of the Derby.
“At a time like this, I think as management, whether we have from the board of directors, our chairman down through the rest of management, it’s about creating the right environment for the players to thrive – bringing the right players, having top an infrastructure, making the right decisions,” he said.
“Right now, as we stand right now, we have a very young team, a new new team, and the results are only achieved on Saturday or the week after, from the players on the pitch. That’s the situation we find ourselves in right now.
“From our side, it’s about planning adequately for the immediate future, and making sure that we make the right decisions that will enhance our learning.
“But at the same time, we do ask for some calmness and support from the Amakhosi faithful. It’s difficult and none of us are happy with our position in the league.
“We have begun to play a brand of football that our fans can identify with, but it’s got to come with results, not on any illusions. It’s a fact. And we are gonna be judged and are accountable if we don’t deliver that.
“So we asked for support from players, the Derby is coming up and we have these young, promising faces, who are going to go out and give everything they can to make sure that supporters smile, that our supporters are proud and have pride in what they see on the pitch.
“So it is tough like this right now and in times when things are tough [are] when you start to see the real character of people, when you start to see the real character of the individual, and we only ask for support from the fans.
“So support for technical staff, the players when they go onto the field, you can be there for them, give the strength they need and they’ll go out there and give their best.”
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Chiefs will take on Pirates at the FNB Stadium at 15:30 on Saturday, having won the reverse fixture 1-0 thanks to Yussuf Maart’s wonder goal from his own half.
