BIG DEBATE | Kaizer Chiefs’ 10-day breather could be the reset they desperately need or the one they leave to rue

Sometimes, progress in football does not come from playing more matches, but from stepping away long enough to breathe, reset and recalibrate. 

For Kaizer Chiefs, the near 10-day break ahead may prove to be a blessing in disguise after a bruising spell that ended their involvement in both the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup.

Yet with both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in action and getting into the second round of the campaign, Chiefs are going to find that they’d have been better off also playing. Chasing the championship is a tough job and history has proven that games in hand are never points in the bag.

Independent Newspapers top football scribes, Smiso Msomi and Matshelane Mamabolo give their take on the matter. Msomi argues pro the Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef-coached Soweto, while Mamabolo has a different view:

Smiso Msomi | Why the almost 10-day break will be good for Chiefs:

Amakhosi have endured an unforgiving schedule in recent weeks, juggling domestic pressure with continental demands. 

The physical and mental toll was evident as performances fluctuated and cohesion wavered. 

Exiting two competitions in such quick succession is never part of the plan at Naturena, but it has inadvertently gifted the club something invaluable — time.

This weekend’s Nedbank Cup action will unfold without Chiefs, a stark reminder of missed opportunity and early exits. 

Yet, beyond the immediate disappointment lies a chance for reflection. 

Chiefs currently occupy fourth spot on the Betway Premiership standings, eight points behind leaders Pirates albeit with a game in hand. 

Without the distraction of knockout football, Chiefs can finally address the structural issues that have surfaced repeatedly: a lack of consistency, fatigue-driven errors and an inability to control matches for sustained periods.

The additional recovery window offers hope for the likes of Thabo Cele, Ox Mthethwa, Bradley Cross and Rushwin Dortley, all of whom are targeting a return in the near future.

Cele’s calm in possession and positional discipline, Mthethwa’s reading of the game, Cross’ athleticism down the flank and Dortley’s physical presence at the back are qualities Chiefs have lacked during a demanding run. 

Rushing them back amid fixture congestion would have been risky. Allowing bodies to heal properly could stabilise the team during the decisive stretch of the league season.

Beyond the physical, there is a mental reset at play. Cup eliminations carry emotional weight, especially at a club where expectation never softens. 

Chiefs will only return to competitive action next Tuesday against Stellenbosch FC, a fixture that now carries added significance. 

In a season defined by inconsistency, stillness may be exactly what Chiefs needed. 

Football rarely offers moments to pause and regroup. For Amakhosi, how they use this one could shape the remainder of their campaign.

Matshelane Mamabolo | Why the mini break in play will prove more detrimental to Chiefs:

A club  whose coach lamented a lack of support for their continental glory quest could well end up ruing the postponement of a match they probably would have won.

To think that co-coach Ben Youssef had previously lamented the fact that Chiefs were playing more league matches while insinuating that Pirates are being treated differently – the Tunisian complaining that the Buccaneers who are not involved in CAF competitions had played less.

The tables have now turned, with Chiefs on 15 matches while Pirates’ clash with Sundowns midweek is their 17th.

Granted fatigue is a reality in the professional fold, but from many years of observing the elite game, I’ve come to realize that clubs that do well are those who play almost nonstop, the continuity ensuring that teams gel and thus produce results easier than those with stop starts.

Chiefs had a fantastic second half in their 2-1 defeat by Zamalek at the weekend and while elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup would have stung the confidence derived from that performance after the break needed to be used.

That energy – both from the good showing as well as from the pain of missing out on the quarter-final - would have been best used in a match immediately upon arrival back home.

The sight of Pirates and Sundowns opening the points gap is sure to have a negative effect on Chiefs’ confidence and I bet, the powers that be at Naturena will regret having had this mini-break (particularly not playing midweek) in the long run.

A season that promised so much is now looking set to end barren and they could well find that they should have just welcomed the hectic schedule their co-coach lamented.