Johannesburg - Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has put on a brave face amid the injury woes that has hit his team, saying they are focusing on the players they have at their disposal.
Chiefs were expected to hit all the right notes this season, rediscovering the club’s identity and getting back to winning ways after a seven-year trophy drought.
But such has been their inconsistent season, they are nowhere near the chasing pack as they trail Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by a whooping 27 points.
Chiefs’ focus has since turned to winning the Nedbank Cup and finishing second on the league standings to qualify for the Caf Champions League next season.
But that won’t come easy as they have to get the best out of the available players at their disposal after continuing to lose key players to injuries in recent weeks.
“I think these things (injuries) are happening for a reason. They happen to the best teams and players. It’s a case of us coming up with a plan like we’ve been doing,” Zwane said.
“I am not that worried – even though the list is growing. We are hoping that some of the players will be back before the season ends because we need them.”
Experienced defender Eric Mathoho is the latest player to be ruled out, joining at least five players, after sustaining a groin injury during training this week. Among the injured players are Mduduzi Shabalala, Sfiso Hlanti, Khama Billiat, Caleb Bimenyimana and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo.
The recent loss of Mathoho could all but spell the end of his career with the club as his contract is scheduled to end this season.
Zwane, though, empathises with the veteran defender’s recent setback, but says they can’t put their focus on one player as the show must go on.
“My role is to keep everyone in the loop and ensure that they are part and parcel of the team. And in Tower’s (Mathoho’s) case, there’s no exception despite his contract,” Zwane said.
“But the focus now is more on the individuals that we can help recover fully, and we’ll take it from there. We want the players who are ready and fit to compete.”
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The next few months will be important in Amakhosi’s season as they could end their trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup and finishing runners-up in the league to qualify for the Champions League.
Chiefs began their quest to win the Nedbank Cup, which guarantees a spot in the Caf Confederation Cup, by beating Maritzburg United 2-0 in the last 32 last week.
This weekend, though, without the availability of most of their starting players, they’ll have to labour for a victory in the league at home to Golden Arrows in Polokwane on Sunday.
“We are expecting a very difficult game. They’ve also been unfortunate, not that they’ve been playing badly. They’ve been unfortunate with not burying chances,” Zwane said.
“But it’s part of the game. We are expecting a very tough game. But we’ve got to take advantage of the fact that we are playing at home and try to find the maximum points.”
@MihaliBaleka