Kaizer Chiefs’ Castro targets goal fest

Leonardo Castro (pictured) has set himself a target for the new year – to score more goals for Kaizer Chiefs as they push for the Absa Premiership and Caf Confederation Cup titles to end a three-and-a-half-year trophy drought at Naturena.

“Everyone has goals, and in my case, I want to win the league and the Confederation Cup with Chiefs. It is important for me and it is important for Kaizer Chiefs. As strikers our job is to score goals. I want to score 15 more goals in the remainder of the season,” said the lanky Colombian.

Castro knows it will be difficult and he knew what he was getting himself into when he snubbed Mamelodi Sundowns to join Chiefs.

“When I arrived here I knew the team had not won anything for a long period, but we know we have to deliver something. It is pressure in a good way because for us as the experienced players we have to manage it and bring calm to the younger ones. We all know we have to use the next few months to deliver,” he said.

Chiefs fans will be happy with such pronouncements and will be more encouraged to hear that Castro has big respect for new coach Ernst Middendorp who has brought a sense of hope and confidence since taking over from Giovanni Solinas early last month.

“Solinas is gone, he is history. In terms of training sessions things have changed (under Middendorp), that has made the difference. We all have enough information on what we need to do on the field. The confidence is higher because we are winning, we are scoring. There is a new mentality and new challenges,” he said.

In what could be Chiefs’ biggest game since the start of Middendorp’s era, they meet Mamelodi Sundowns in an Absa Premiership match at the FNB Stadium this afternoon.