Zwane slams Chiefs defenders for not sticking to game plan in City loss

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane says the players did not stick to their plan at the back which resulted in Cape Town City easily taking advantage. 

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City beat Chiefs 2-0 in a DStv Premiership match at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday evening in what was a thrill-a-minute game.

Chiefs had planned to stop City’s adventurous wingers from making box entries but the plan failed dismally as both goals came from such plays. 

In the first goal, Thami Mkhize was allowed time and space inside the Amakhosi box to control the ball and send a cross for Darwin Gonzalez to convert. 

City’s left back cum winger Terrence Mashego was influential in the second goal, swinging a cross in from a free kick for Fasika Idumba to nod in. 

“We obviously started very slow – we were very sloppy at the back,” said Zwane after the game.

He then revealed their plan for the match.

“We had actually planned for this, the only thing that we didn’t do right was to execute the plan. We knew that they would want to drop the ball behind and that is why we came with three defenders so we can close those spaces with the wing-backs. 

“This so they can confront their full-backs when they come but we sat at the back and we were in a straight line and we allowed them about four of those.

“Before they got the goal, we had sort of a warning and still the guys couldn’t read it. And we conceded too early in the game and once you concede that early, you get unsettled. You have to chase the game,” added the Chiefs mentor.

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After scoring in the fifth minute of the match, City didn’t let up and pinnedChiefs back in trying to get a second goal and came close on numerous occasions. 

“We looked like we’re back in the game but we just did not get it right in the first-half. In the second-half we came back a different team. We were just unfortunate not to score one that could have maybe brought us back into the game.

“And the few chances we created, we couldn’t take and we conceded from a dead ball situation again, which is something we are trying to avoid. We know they are going to play it to the far post (but we didn’t anticipate it).

“And when you’re chasing the game like that we were bound to concede the third one but the boys gave their best, unfortunately we couldn’t score and let in two goals. So, yeah, we’ll learn from this game and move on.” 

With Brandon Petersen not convincing in goals and Siyabonga Ngezana again committing school boy errors, Zwane will have some big decisions to make ahead of their next game. 

Chiefs will be back in the Western Cape again as they play Stellenbosch FC on Sunday in the first round of the MTN8.