‘What it takes to survive at Kaizer Chiefs’

Kaizer Chiefs fullback Sifiso Hlanti has revealed what a player needs to survive at the Soweto giants.

Chiefs is a big brand with a rich history of winning trophies. However, in the past seven seasons, they have been experiencing a trophy drought.

Big-name players like Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly have come in. Some were successful, and others failed to meet their expectations because of the pressure of playing for a club of Chiefs’ calibre.

Hlanti joined Amakhosi from another Soweto outfit, Swallows FC, ahead of the 2021/22 DStv Premiership season. Despite his tenure at the club being disturbed by injuries and the team underperforming, Hlanti has tried to be consistent in his performances.

The 33-year-old has become a regular starter in the left-back position. He has made 27 appearances in all competitions this season and scored two goals.

HOW TO SURVIVE AT KAIZER CHIEFS

According to Hlanti, playing for big teams comes with pressure to deliver week in, week out. Therefore, one must be strong mentally.

“This is Kaizer Chiefs. If you are not strong mentally, you might have a problem. That’s a reality. We here to try to make everyone happy,” said Hlanti.

“We chose to play for Kaizer Chiefs for a reason. We came to this team to add value, not just to be here and have fun.

“The mental strength and positive attitude have to be there. It can keep us in a good space whereby we are able to do things in a better way.

UNITY AND TOGETHERNESS IN THE TEAM

Hlanti further stated that team unity is another important factor that can help players ease pressure and do well in matches and training sessions.

“What matters the most is for us players to be united in difficult and good times. Once you start to worry yourself about such things [pressure], you might feel you are not good enough.

“At the end of the day, we might point fingers, but it might not help us because this is a team sport, not an individual sport,” he added.

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