By Dylan Bettencourt
- Coach Cedric Kaze says his tired Kaizer Chiefs players were not on the pitch during the first half in Bloemfontein.
- Kaizer Chiefs lost the Betway Premiership match, but they hold a five point lead over AmaZulu with four games left.
Kaizer Chiefs hold onto third place after losing 2-0 in Bloemfontein.
Amakhosi went down to Siwelele FC in a Betway Premiership match at the Free State Stadium on Wednesday.
Despite the defeat, Chiefs are still in a strong position to qualify for next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
They are five points ahead of fourth placed AmaZulu with four games left to play.
The team gave away two goals in the first 26 minutes. The players looked tired after their draw against Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby on Sunday.
Coach Cedric Kaze says his team was simply not on the pitch in the first half.
“We were not there in the first half in our build up, in our offensive and defensive methods,” Kaze told SuperSport TV. “And when you are not there you get punished.”
The coach says they tried to move on from the derby, but the players struggled to find their feet.
“Our reaction was too late,” Kaze said. “We kept talking about how we needed to get over the derby and concentrate on this game. It was a tough one.”
He says the team needs to fix this.
“And we came into the game very late. It is one of the biggest areas we need to improve. A consistency in our mindset and in our behaviour going forward,” he said.
Kaze says the team woke up in the second half but failed to score.
“We came back from half time with the right mindset and you could say we were unlucky at some points,” he said. “We missed a lot of opportunities to score, but that is just how football is.”
Kaze hopes his players will bring their second half fighting spirit to their next match against Mamelodi Sundowns on 6 May.
Pictured above: Kaizer Chiefs in action.
Image source: @KaizerChiefs
