OPINION – Kaizer Chiefs must get off to a winning start

After a slow start, with the MTN8 and Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC playing in Caf’s Inter-club competitions, buckle up ladies and gentlemen because the Betway Premiership officially kicks off on Saturday.

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There’s no doubt all eyes will be on Bloemfontein where Kaizer Chiefs play yo-yo club Marumo Gallants at the Free State Stadium. Chiefs have to live up to their Amakhosi moniker. They need to remind people why they were once regarded as the chiefs of South African football.

Chiefs need the three points

This is why I think the Soweto giants can’t afford to have a false start in what will be Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi’s first competitive game in charge. Nabi has to hit the ground running by winning the game. And his team has to win convincingly.

There’s a feel good atmosphere among the Chiefs faithful at the moment. The team made a couple of good signings ahead of the new 2024/25 season. Nabi has to capitalise on that. Fans can be fickle. The only way to win them over is by delivering on the field of play. No amount of lip service will suffice.

Anything other than three points will not go down well with the gold and black nation. Chiefs fans will be back at the same stadium where Young Africans trounced them 4-0 in the Toyota Cup pre-season tournament nearly two months ago.

Reasons for Chiefs fans to be encouraged

The 59-year-old has to show why Chiefs invested heavily in this new project. A win with substance will go a long way in giving him credit with the hard-to-please supporters. If I was a Chiefs fan, I would also be encouraged with the latest arrivals at Naturena under a new look technical team.

The last coach to deliver silverware at Chiefs was Stuart Baxter. But even he enjoyed a love-hate relationship with the club’s fans because of his direct style of play. The match against Gallants will give them an idea of the type of football they should expect from Nabi.

To be fair, Amakhosi pressed well against Yanga. Ultimately, however not everyone was convinced that a lot has changed after succumbing to four unanswered goals against the Tanzanian champions.

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In theory, Nabi should be given time to build his team. But the reality is that time is a luxury he doesn’t have. He couldn’t have asked for an easier fixture than Bahlabane Ba Ntwa who shouldn’t pose much of a fight. The importance of an opening round win can’t be underestimated due to the schedules that will follow the trip to the City of Roses.

The road becomes tougher after that with AmaZulu, Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United next in line. It will be good to go into those games high on confidence because they are established topflight teams.

Even the staunchest Chiefs supporter will agree with me that points are not guaranteed in those games. A win will send a strong message to the rest of the teams that Chiefs mean business this season and a winning start is non-negotiable.