OPINION – Now Chiefs need to build sustainable success

Plenty of sighs of relief, to go with howls of joy may well have been released across the country on Saturday afternoon by Kaizer Chiefs fans, as the final whistle blew on their 2-1 Nedbank Cup final win over Orlando Pirates. 

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In the director’s box at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr certainly looked in some pain as the minutes ticked down on Chiefs’ trophy drought. 

Chiefs’ poor decade

On the field, this has been a dismal decade for Amakhosi. Chiefs are undoubtedly the land’s most popular team, and this has not dwindled in the slightest, even as the trophy cabinet has remained full of dust. 

But the commercial success of Chiefs, all the sponsors gained, all the shirts and tickets sold, has jarred with their on pitch failures. 

Chiefs deserve to celebrate their success in the Nedbank Cup. It was earned the hard way, with wins over Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in the semifinals and final respectively. 

But after their celebrations it is important that their heads come together on how to make their success sustainable. That is why it was encouraging to hear head coach Nasreddine Nabi continue to talk about the “process” in a post-match interview. 

Nabi has had plenty of criticism in his first season at Chiefs. And with Chiefs ninth in the Betway Premiership table it is easy to see why. But if his team’s results have not, the Tunisian’s message has been consistent – he is building a team and needs patience. 

As such, it was good to see the Chiefs coach simply carry on with that message and not get carried away in Saturday’s post match celebrations.

Chiefs will need to build on this. Nabi’s words will not hold much water next season if Amakhosi continue to wallow in mid-table mediocrity. 

Can Amakhosi qualify for the MTN8?

The most immediate aim should be to seal a place in next season’s MTN8. On Saturday, Amakhosi visit Sekhukhune United, a side with far less financial support who are 15 points above them in the table.

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This is the kind of situation that has to be intolerable for Chiefs if they are to truly assume a place again as a competitive force in South African football.