Chiefs’ Maart thanks ‘father’ Kaizer Motaung

Kaizer Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart has praised the support given to every player at Amakhosi by the club’s founder and chairman Kaizer Motaung.

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Amakhosi on Saturday ended a ten year wait for a trophy, when they beat Orlando Pirates 2-1 to lift the Nedbank Cup title at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Chiefs’ Maart – ‘Everyone loves and respects the chairman’

And it was Maart who scored the winning goal, lashing home an excellent volley from the edge of the box with ten minutes left.

“Thank you for being like a father to each and every player since you started the club,” said Maart, according to the official Chiefs website.

“Everybody loves and appreciates the Chairman. When he speaks to us, we feel like anything is possible; through him we understand what the club stands for, and the responsibility we have to the millions of fans that support us through thick and thin. So I want to thank him. We are all very pleased to make him happy with this trophy.”

Kaizer Chiefs will play away to Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership on Saturday, hoping to scramble into the top eight in their final two league games of the season.

Chiefs are currently in ninth place on 30 points, after a disappointing league campaign. But there is still a possibility for them to qualify for next season’s MTN8. Chiefs only trail eighth-placed Chippa United on goal difference, and are three pints behind seventh-placed Polokwane City.

“We haven’t had a great season in the league, and that is something we will have to improve on, but we all fought as a team and put a lot of work into bringing the Nedbank Cup back to Naturena,” added Maart.

‘More consistency’

“Cup games are different to league matches in a lot of ways, but mainly we want to build more consistency going forward.”

Maart has had to deal with plenty of criticism since arriving at Chiefs in 2022, and playing for them during a difficult time for the club.

The fans have often been on his back, even this season, though his winning goal in the Nedbank Cup final will surely have changed plenty of hearts and minds.

“I became aware of how much it meant when I joined the club and it wasn’t easy because of the pressure of knowing what is expected at Kaizer Chiefs,” said Maart.

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“But I have worked my hardest from the first day. My first two seasons were not easy but now in my third season, we have been rewarded with something great, which is something I deeply appreciate.”