Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane has hailed the players who’ve fought their way back into the reckoning after widespread criticism from supporters after indifferent displays.
Siyethemba Sithebe, Brandon Petersen, Siyabonga Ngezana have been among their standout players in recent weeks while Happy Mashinane, who only started two games all season returned with an impressive cameo in their Nedbank Cup win over Maritzburg United last week.
Several of the Chiefs players have been accused of having weak mentalities, and not capable of handling the pressure that comes with having to challenge for honours at Chiefs – but Zwane has been impressed in the way they have bounced back after tough periods.
“It’s always how you comeback after a setback and that alone tells you that mentally, you are strong enough to play for a team of Kaizer Chiefs’ caliber, and yes people will always have something to say,” Zwane said in response to iDiski Times at the Village on Thursday.
“[People] have their own opinions and we have to respect that, but if you look at these players, they started the season very well, all the players you mentioned – playing for a team of Chiefs’ calibre, a team that hasn’t been winning cups for some time.
“The pressure will always mount when things are not going our way. It’s how you deal with the pressure, how you come back after that setback as a player, just to show your quality, just to show you are mentally ready to compete at this level.
“So I must give credit to these players just for them to come back, show quality displays in those games, just to show they are good enough to be part and parcel of the team and it’s not only them, it’s just not easy to play for a team of Kaizer Chiefs’ calibre, because you are expected to perform week in week out, it’s tough. Mentally it takes a lot from you.”
Chiefs will host Golden Arrows on Sunday afternoon at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane (15h30).
