Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has taken full responsibility for the Soweto derby loss and pleads for patience as Amakhosi look to bridge an 11-point gap. Photo: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Image: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has moved to quell speculation around the future of the club’s technical team, insisting that continuity — not upheaval — is required as the club navigates one of its most difficult periods of the season.
The pressure has intensified following a worrying run of form that has seen Kaizer Chiefs lose four of their last five matches in all competitions. The sequence reached a painful climax with a crushing Soweto Derby defeat to Orlando Pirates at home — Chiefs’ heaviest loss in the fixture in 25 years.
That result has had significant consequences in the Betway Premiership standings.
Chiefs now trail Pirates by 11 points in the title race, and while they do hold a game in hand, the gap has left their chances of mounting a serious challenge for the final trophy of the season looking increasingly slim.
In the aftermath of the derby, questions inevitably turned toward the technical bench.
However, Kaze was clear in his response, stressing that his position — and that of his colleagues — remains rooted in trust from the club’s hierarchy.
“It’s not up to me but I believe that we’re here because we’re trusted by management,” said Kaze.
The Chiefs mentor acknowledged the poor run of results but maintained that it does not erase the progress shown earlier in the campaign.
“It’s true that we’ve been in a series of bad results, but I believe there are things that have worked in the past few months,” he added.
For Kaze, the solution lies not in reinvention but in rediscovering the principles that initially gave Chiefs stability. He believes the team has drifted away from the fundamentals that underpinned their stronger performances during the first half of the season.
“We need to remind ourselves, our players what has worked in the first half of the league and probably come back to the basics of football — how well we defended, if we don’t score, don’t concede, things like that. It’s the only way to go forward.”
February has been particularly unforgiving for Amakhosi. In a short space of time, they were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup, knocked out of the Nedbank Cup, and effectively derailed in the league title race.
The accumulation of setbacks has heightened scrutiny on both the technical team and the players. While members of the coaching staff have previously questioned the players’ attitude in some high-profile defeats, Kaze struck a different tone this time, choosing to shield his squad rather than single out individuals.
“I’m not the kind of coach that looks for scapegoats within my players,” he said.
“I take full responsibility of what happened today as well as Stellenbosch and I’m pretty sure we are going to find our way back to winning ways.”
Pressed on whether he still considers Chiefs genuine title contenders, Kaze conceded that the task has become far more complicated than before — an admission that reflects both the league table and the psychological weight of recent results.
For Chiefs, the immediate challenge is no longer about chasing silverware alone, but about restoring belief, identity and consistency. Whether that revival comes through patience or pressure will shape the closing chapters of a season that has quickly slipped into uncertainty.