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Zwane defends misfiring Chiefs strikers
“He is one boy that I believe in. We all believe in him, we know that he is going to get it right at some point.," says Zwane of Du Preez.
Kaizer Chiefs striker Ashley Du Preez has come under criticism over his performances Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has dismissed any criticism towards the front pair of Caleb Bimenyimana and Ashley Du Preez.
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The duo came under heavy criticism after missing what looked to be easy chances in Chiefs first leg MTN8 semi finals against AmaZulu on Sunday.
Du Preez’s miss still has supporters in disbelief while those of the other teams are finding the funny side of it.
The former Stellenbosch FC attacker was set through on goal and went one-on-one with Usuthu keeper Veli Mothwa.
He took his first shot which Mothwa saved but the ball kindly fell in front of him. Du Preez then had an open net.
But he blasted the ball skywards and probably out of the FNB Stadium perimeter. Bimenyimana also missed two chances in the game.
“He is a big boy, he has a strong character,” said Zwane as quoted on SABC Sport about Du Preez.
“He is one boy that I believe in. We all believe in him, we know that he is going to get it right at some point.
“And as I have been saying, football is a game of mistakes and there are times when things are not going your way.
“And as a coach the only thing that I have to do is to lift him up, work on him to improve his game. And he’s easy to work with,” added Zwane.
Zwane told the media that the duo should not be the fall guys for Chiefs’ 1-1 draw which heavies the load for Amakhosi ahead of the second leg in Durban.
“Not really… In a game of football you create chances you know and score. It’s a game of mistakes. It’s a game that teaches you to rectify your mistakes,” Zwane said.
“So we’re going to dig even deeper to score goals in Durban, but the way the players exert themselves, I think they gave it their all.
“It would be worse if we got onto the field and we didn’t create those chances at all. And as I’ve said before, I think we’re on the right track.
“I’m not going to press the panic button because we missed chances today. We created a lot of chances and we’ll work on it, we’ll come back and come back very strong,” promised Zwane.
