A Win for Kaizer Chiefs against high-flying Golden Arrows this afternoon (3.30pm kick-off) could potentially change their fortunes for the rest of the season.
That was the view of midfielder Keagan Dolly, considering all the turmoil Amakhosi have endured since the start of the campaign in August.
Chiefs were expected to return to the glory days this season following an eight-year trophy drought, having signed a host of players and appointed new coach Molefi Ntseki.
But things haven’t gone to plan. Ntseki was overwhelmed with the task at hand, falling behind in the title race and losing out on two trophies.
And after the fans did not take kindly to the team’s shortcomings – pelting Ntseki with missiles three times – Chiefs eventually sacked him on Monday.
He has been replaced by Cavin Johnson on an interim basis, and the man who was recently appointed as the head of scout and youth is forced to hit the ground running.
Johnson will sit on the bench for his first match against Arrows, who are second in the DStv Premiership, at Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale near Durban, and Dolly believes a win from that match could do them a world of good.
“It was a tough week for the club itself – and us as players. There are a lot of changes happening at the club, but at the end of the day, we must do our jobs,” he said on the Chiefs website.
“We must get results for the club and ourselves to get the confidence we need to get through the season. I feel it’s going to be a long season.”
Indeed, it’s still going to be a long season for the Amakhosi, but they can’t look at that with despair, given their relatively poor start. They need to work on themselves as a team.
Amakhosi have been erratic round, with their defence leaking unnecessary goals, while their strike force hasn’t been lethal either.
But with players such as Dolly out of the medical room – he made his first start of the season in the 1-0 loss to AmaZulu in the Carling Knockout Cup last Saturday – Chiefs are looking forward.
“We are disappointed that we couldn’t advance to the next round in the Carling Knockout. But I think this is an important weekend for us,” Dolly said.
@MihlaliBaleka