Can City add to Chiefs’ woes?

HOW the mighty have fallen.

That pretty much sums up Kaizer Chiefs since May 2015 – the last time the key to the trophy cabinet was spotted at Naturena.

This Fifa international break was a welcome reprieve for the suffering Amakhosi fans who have watched in horror as their club struggles to adjust to life under new coach Giovanni Solinas.

Chiefs’ one win in eight matches in all competitions is a harsh reminder that the Glamour Boys are going to have to dig deep to turn the tide.

Several elements have contributed to their poor start to the 2018-19 season, particularly in the Premiership, where Solinas is still searching for his maiden victory as coach after five false starts. And Cape Town City, their league opponents away from home this Saturday, will not make it any easier.

But why do the two teams have such contrasting fortunes?

EMBARRASSING TROPHY DROUGHT

In his defence of Solinas last week, Chiefs supremo Kaizer Motaung joked that English club Liverpool have not won a championship in 27 years but Anfield, their home stadium, is never short of bums on seats.

Amakhosi have had incredibly poor spectator numbers at FNB Stadium because of a trophy drought which could possibly stretch to four years if the coach doesn’t pick up some silverware from the remaining tournaments this season – most importantly the league.

The problems at Chiefs are a combination of being let down by Solinas’ predecessor Steve Komphela and the average quality of players brought in during his tenure. Only in January did Amakhosi begin addressing this issue, but it was too late by then. With time, Motaung believes, the Italian mentor can bring back the smiles of the disgruntled supporters, who are divided in whether to afford Solinas more time or demand his sacking.

THE RIGHT COMBINATIONS

Even Motaung admitted he’s never come across a rearguard as leaky as the one the club has at the moment. The boss was adamant the arrival of defenders Godfrey Walusimbi and Mario Booysen would help solve this crisis.

Solinas isn’t quite sure of his starting line-up just yet – it can be tricky to know which players to consistently rely on when you arrived late for pre-season. But Solinas’ sympathisers are running out of patience. To have managed just one win in eight at a club like Chiefs is substandard. Liverpool would have probably considered sacking their manager by now if those were his statistics.

With the acquisitions made during the last two transfer windows, it appears Chiefs are confident they have given the new coach all the tools he needs.

It’s his turn to deliver. CAPE TOWN City are continuing to capture the imagination of the football public.

In just their third season as a PSL club, they are already through to their third cup final – the MTN8 finale on September 29.

Now, the Citizens are gearing up for a crunch league fixture against Kaizer Chiefs at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (3pm).

The two teams head into the match with contrasting fortunes: City have got off to a promising start, hence their place in the MTN8 final; Chiefs, on the other hand, just can’t seem to get going.

So what have City done right this season?

A WISER, MORE EXPERIENCED COCH

A big plus for City this season is the fact that Benni McCarthy is now in his second year as a head coach. He was a surprise choice to lead the side originally, but is thriving in the role. He is on record as saying that last season was a learning curve; he admits that he erred on many occasions. But he’s used it as a tool to grow his coaching experience – and, this season, he’s a lot more in tune with his thinking.

More importantly, McCarthy now also has a better understanding of how to manage his players, and he has a definite direction in which he wants to steer the team.

GOOD GOALKEEPER, GOOD TEAM

McCarthy has always been vocal about City bringing on board a reliable goalkeeper.

He believes that a solid number one creates confidence and permeates the entire squad with confidence.

This season, City found such a goalkeeper in Dutchman Peter Leeuwenburgh.

Signed from Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where he was playing in the Dutch club’s Reserve Team, Leeuwenburgh has been simply brilliant for the Capetonians; he is an inspirational presence, and he has pulled off some topclass saves to drive City’s promising start to the new season.

TEAM ETHIC

The one aspect that is always a constant with City is the fantastic team spirit of the squad. The collective is more important than the individual. While McCarthy’s experience and the addition of Leeuwenburgh are crucial, the secret to City’s success remains the unity and courage of the entire squad: and much of that spirit is to be found in the unselfish endeavour and supreme commitment of combative midfielder Thabo Nodada and heroic skipper Thami Mkhize.

The duo leads by example in the manner in which they tackle challenges with gusto, and the rest of the team follow their example.