Katsande hopeful of a Chiefs revival

While many are questioning the rationale for Kaizer Chiefs setting up their pre-season camp in Türkiye ahead of the new DStv Premiership season, former midfielder Willard Katsande reckons the trip to Europe could be the tonic the team needs to get back to winning ways.

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The disappointment of missing out on a position in the top eight last season has prompted the Amakhosi management to break the bank and hire highly-rated coach Nasreddine Nabi. 

The Tunisian has also brought in his own technical team as the team looks to erase the embarrassment of finishing 10^th on the premiership standings.

Katsande was speaking at Monday’s official launch of the Toyota Cup that will see Chiefs take on Tanzanian club Young Africans in Bloemfontein on July 28.

“It’s a good decision for the club to take the boys overseas because they need a bit of fresh air. They won’t wake up and go around South Africa and hear the same stories,” Katsande said.

“So when they are that side, they will sharpen their swords by staying together and building a team cohesion and team spirit. They will see the game differently when they come back. I think you are going to see a different Kaizer Chiefs this season with the same players that were there last season but the mentality is going to change.

“That is because of the environment they find themselves in at the moment. They will be thinking about how they can better their performance and be better for the club and hit the ground running.

Katsande was part of the last Chiefs team that won the league in 2015. He has urged the club’s supporters to exercise patience under new coach Nabi who is tasked with ending the 9-year trophy drought at the Soweto giants.

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“We are heading in the right direction but you know that this is a project and it requires patience. With a new technical team, we just need some new editions in the team but we need to be patient from our side as supporters because this is football and it’s not an overnight thing,” he concluded.