Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has brought a host of statistics to showcase how his side have improved in comparison to previous seasons, hitting back at the recent “noise” around the club.
Chiefs have lost five of their last six games across all competitions – a run which has seen them drop out of the Nedbank and CAF Confederations Cup, also fall to sixth place in the Betway Premiership.
Another defeat in the league on Sunday would be a new negative record in the PSL era, but Kaze brought out a stats sheet to showcase how the team has actually improved compared to previous seasons.
“I think there has been a lot of things around but I would like first to have a moment to speak but I’m going to speak about football, I’m not going to speak about the noises that are outside because I’m a coach and my job is on the field,” he stated at Naturena on Thursday.
“I’m gonna first do an evaluation of the 18 [league] games we’ve played – we’ve played 18 games and to put in context I’m gonna look at the last two season after games.
“In 2023/24 after 18 games, 12 goals conceded with seven losses, 25 points, in 10th position. In 2024/25, 24 goals conceded and eight losses, ninth with 24 points.
“Today, four losses, 30 points. And I’m gonna show you more stats for this season. Ball possession 59.4%, Mamelodi Sundowns is ahead of us, we are second.
“Accurate passes per game, we are second with 415 (overall). Total shots per game, we are first with an average of 15.5. Shots on target per game, average of 5.2, we are first.
“Successful dribbles per game, 9.5, we are first before Golden Arrows. Accurate crosses per game, we are third with an average of 4.5. Clean sheets, we are second.
“Those are stats of football.”
Kaze continued and insisted that reaching third place is still well within their reach and would be an “incredible job”.
“Are you gonna start running because one month of bad performances after you have done seven incredible months? No,”
“There is still 12 games to play and a lot of things to play for! Today, we are in sixth position and the one in third is three points ahead of us, we have two games in hand.
“I’m not saying that we’re going to win the two games, but we’re going to try everything we do.
“If this team finishes in third by the end of the season, as coach I can even leave and I will say that I have accomplished what no one has accomplished in the last 10 years. There was someone who finished second a few years ago with 23 set-pieces, it’s a lot of long balls.
“But at the end if we achieve top three at the end of the season, we can leave and say we have done an incredible job.”
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.
