Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane hailed the character shown by his side following their 1-0 win over Richards Bay at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
The win for Chiefs was a good response by them following their 4-0 hammering at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns last week.
Chiefs can also take positives from the game as they maintained a positive mindset even though they played with ten men for the majority of the match. Yusuf Maart received his marching orders just after 30 minutes.
“I’m happy that we did not lose our structure even after we were down one man. We kept on going and kept the ball really well. We created a few chances and did not take them. We had to bring in Njabulo Blom to bring stability to the middle of the park while knowing that we could release the likes of Kgaogelo Sekgota, Keagan Dolly and Khama Billiat,” said Zwane.
The loss was a first in top flight football for Richards Bay. Prior to the game, the Natal Rich Boyz had made a positive start to life in the elite division, winning two and drawing one game.
90 + 4’| #KC 1 : 0 #RB
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) August 20, 2022
Full time score: (Solomons. pen 62) Kaizer Chiefs 1 : 0 Richards Bay #Amakhosi4Life #DStvPrem #KCFreshRevival pic.twitter.com/B0fYmh3e7t
Zwane also praised his men for being resolute, indicating that they opted to show faith in the team and not make any changes even when they were a man down.
“We used a 4-4-1 formation and had to make sure that we finished the game leading and not conceding. At half-time, we decided to continue using a 4-4-1 formation so that the wingers could continue to confront their full-backs. When we realized that we were losing energy, we decided to use five with three defenders. With that being said, we still do have a lot of work to do,” said Zwane.
By beating Richards Bay, Chiefs also ended the strong early season momentum of the league newcomers. The result would have no doubt been a reality check for the Kwa-Zulu Natal side with regards to what they can anticipate in the top-flight.
“Richards Bay gave their best. They are a good team but they came into this game at a wrong time when our players were motivated to win. I’m proud of the boys for what they have done today. They showed character and a never say die attitude. We have gained a valuable three points,” said Zwane.
The win for Zwane’s men took them into eighth place in the league with six points after four games.
Chiefs’ next game is an away trip against struggling Cape Town City at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night. This is a game from which Zwane’s men will eye another three points. Last season’s second place finishers City are second last in the league standings and one of only four teams who have yet to pick up a win this season.
City will head into the game on the back of consecutive draws against Stellenbosch FC and Maritzburg United.
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