Kambole raring to break his goal drought at Chiefs
Zambian goal ace Lazarous Kambole maintains that the weight of expectation is not getting to him as he seeks his first goal in a Kaizer Chiefs jersey.
Kambole‚ who arrived from Zesco United at the beginning of the season as Chiefs’ high profile signing after scoring goals for fun in his home country‚ has fired blanks in all four matches for the Glamour Boys since the start of the season in August.
It might be early days yet but the goal drought has thrust the 25-year-old striker under increased scrutiny from Chiefs fans who expect him to find the back of the net regularly if Amakhosi are to break their four-year trophy drought.
To be fair‚ Kambole has managed to get himself into good positions in his quest to break his duck, but the ball has not rolled kindly for him and he has missed clear-cut chances that looked easy to convert.
“Football is like that‚” said Kambole when asked about his four-game goal drought at the club’s training base in Naturena on Wednesday as they geared up for the visit of Polokwane City for a Premiership match at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.
“Of course scoring is one of my attributes‚ so I’m working on that, but I’m not frustrated. The pressure is making me push harder at training.”
Kambole admitted that the expectations around him are warranted‚ given his goalscoring history.
He said he was champing at the bit to score his first goal in the black-and-gold of Chiefs.
“It’s very important [for me to score my first goal] because I just want to give the supporters something to smile about.”
Chiefs are top of the standings after four matches with 10 points and are yet to be defeated, with three wins and a draw.
“We are on the right track‚ we are doing well. But this is the right time to be humble and continue working hard in training. And I hope and I know that this season we will win silverware‚” declared the Zambian.
“The pressure is there for us to win the title this year because we have not won anything for the past four years.”
Chiefs will look to maintain their top spot when league action resumes on Saturday following a two-week Fifa international break.
Coach Ernst Middendorp’s side will welcome a Polokwane side high on confidence having conceded just one goal in their four league matches. Polokwane City are placed fifth on the log, three points behind Chiefs after two wins‚ a draw and a defeat.
Kambole said it is important for Chiefs to lead the charge for the title chase and own the top spot for the better part of the season if they are to win the Premiership.
“It’s better to be on top of the log than to be in the chasing pack because then we won’t have to depend on the results of other teams,” he said.
Orlando Pirates caretaker coach Rhulani Mokwena has decided to quit Twitter for the sake of his sanity and peace.
The 34-year-old Mokwena often used the social networking site to share his views on a variety of topical issues but after his elevation to the head coaching seat following the sudden resignation of Milutin Sredojevic in August‚ he has decided to withdraw from that space.
“I think it’s more spiritual than anything‚” Mokwena said at Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday. “It was not about trying to evade the criticism.”
In a bid to ensure that he remains fully focused on his job at Pirates‚ Mokwena said he had to block all the distractions that could interfere with his work.
“So for me I tried to block out the noise and tried to focus on the task at hand. It’s not necessarily about avoiding criticism‚” said Mokwena‚ who has struggled to guide the Bucs ship to calmer waters after Sredojevic’s departure.
“You’ve got to accept it when you work in an environment such as Orlando Pirates.”
Pirates host Chippa United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday and, after getting enough rest during the Fifa international break‚ the Bucs will be expected to register their first win in all competitions under Mokwena’s stewardship.