Chiefs under Ntseki: Are they going in the right direction?

Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki is well aware that his team is a work in progress, but there’s growing doubt among the supporters about whether this progress is heading in the right direction. 

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Ntseki is the latest coach tasked with reawakening the slumbering giant of South African football.

Chiefs have been in a slump for close to 10 years now and the supporters are starting to doubt if Ntseki can end the rot.

And recent results haven’t done much to bolster Ntseki’s standing, especially in the eyes of the fans. 

Supporters have been vocal about their frustration on social media, and in some unfortunate instances, they’ve even resorted to violent behaviour.

Over the past five games, Chiefs have managed just one win, with two draws and two losses. They’ve netted five goals but conceded four. 

Ntseki acknowledges the challenges his team is facing and believed it will eventually come right. 

“Maybe it’s more of a mental issue in terms of composure, or perhaps it’s a technical issue related to execution when it comes to our goal-scoring woes.”

“Maybe it’s a tactical issue in terms of understanding the positioning of the player in possession, or the position of the defender or a goalkeeper. 

“(But) It’s a work in progress. We believe we are going in the right direction. The setbacks don’t leave us happy. 

“But we still believe we can overcome these setbacks and be able to get the maximum results we are working for at training every day, in every session.”

Costly individual errors have also hindered the team. In Saturday’s defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8, goalkeeper Brandon Petersen made another howler. 

He failed to clear the ball and allowed Peter Shalulile to dispossess him and go on to score the opening goal in just 10 seconds.

But Ntseki also took responsibility for that, saying it was a tactical ploy that went horribly wrong. 

He suggested that had it been executed well, it could have given them different and more pleasant results.

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Ntseki will hope to get a better result when he guides his team against Sekhukhune United in a DStv Premiership match at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Wednesday.