On Friday, Kaizer Chiefs suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to AmaZulu in Durban to mark the club’s 53rd birthday.
AmaZulu beat Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 tonight.
What’s wrong with @KaizerChiefs this season? AfricanFootball Amakhosi4Life pic.twitter.com/EQBmqc6Sd6
— Micky Jnr ✪ (@MickyJnr__) January 13, 2023
The result was met with shock and disappointment from the Amakhosi faithful, including former striker Siyabonga ‘Go Man Go’ Maponyane. Speaking on SA FM Sport On, Maponyane expressed his disbelief at the result, saying that it was an embarrassing way to celebrate the club’s birthday.
He also pointed to Chiefs’ recent defeat to Sekhukhune United, which saw them lose by an odd goal, as further evidence of the team’s struggles. Maponyane believes that the team’s downfall is due to their reliance on too many young players in the first team.
He compared Chiefs’ struggles to Manchester United’s after the Sir Alex Ferguson era, when they were forced to buy experienced players such as Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes to regain their footing. The former striker also suggested that the youngsters at the Naturena-based side simply can’t handle the pressure, especially when the team is not winning.
He said: “Because youngsters cannot take this pressure, because people keep saying it’s seven seasons, this is the eighth (without a trophy at Chiefs) and that is too much pressure. So you can’t just do it when Sundowns are firing on all cylinders like they are now.”
