Call for Chiefs to stay in the now

The Kaizer Chiefs coach has called on his team to forget the up-coming Nedbank Cup semifinal against Orlando Pirates and win the games before that one.

Chiefs were drawn to face arch-rivals Pirates in the Nedbank Cup last-four and their players’ reaction suggested it is a match they cannot wait to play.

Besides it being the famed Soweto derby, it is also a chance for Chiefs to get closer to winning silverware, and end a seven-year trophy drought.

But that excitement seems to have led to Chiefs players to forget that every other game is just as important as the one against the Buccaneers.

Chiefs suffered a morale-denting 1-0 defeat to Sekhukhune United in a DStv Premiership match last Sunday.

The loss made it even more difficult for Chiefs to grab the second spot in the league which would give them a ticket to the Caf Champions League next season.

Speaking before the Sekhukhune game, Zwane had called on his players to put the Pirates game on the back burner for now.

“It’s obviously a situation you can’t control. It’s our responsibility as the technical team to try and manage the players and make them aware of the important games right now.

“We know that one (the Soweto Derby) is more than important, but we have to keep on from where we left off,” Zwane said.

“We have to win the three games before we play Pirates, so the focus is on these three games now.

“And as soon as we are done with these three games, then we will focus our attention on

Orlando Pirates.”

And now with the Sekhukhune game done and dusted, Chiefs are gearing up for a trip to Port Elizabeth to face Chippa United tomorrow afternoon.

Chiefs have fallen five points behind in the race for second spot, where they are competing with Pirates and SuperSport United.

If they are to stand a chance of getting the spot in the end, they will need to beat the Chilli Boys, who are fighting for survival in second-last spot and desperate for victory with just four games to go until the end of the season.