Midfielders Ngcobo and Cele agree: Kaizer Chiefs in a crisis

‘From the beginning of the season, we’ve lacked that ability to control games even when it's 0-0 or 1-1’

Kaizer Chiefs midfield duo Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Thabo Cele have provided a refreshingly honest assessment of the team's dire situation, admitting the team's ineptitude controlling matches as their main Achilles’ heel.

The 28-year-old Cele, who signed on a free transfer from Russian club FC Fakel Voronezh as Amakhosi attempted to boost their depth and quality in January, admits the club is in a crisis.

Consistency and Chiefs have not been compatible terms under the technical team led by Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi, who arrived at the start of the 2024-25 season. Amakhosi have suffered 10 league defeats, jeopardising their ambition of qualifying for continental football.

Having leaked 28 goals in the league — only Marumo Gallants (34) and AmaZulu (32) have conceded more — eighth-placed Chiefs have made it a norm to lose to relegation candidates and lowly teams. 

“At the moment, everyone is frustrated,” Ngcobo admitted at a press conference at Naturena on Thursday ahead of Chiefs' Betway Premiership clash against fourth-placed TS Galaxy at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Polokwane on Saturday (7pm).

“From the beginning of the season, we've lacked that ability to control games even when it's 0-0 or 1-1 and we're playing better than the opponent. We always struggle to maintain the momentum and the tempo.

“We tend to get frustrated and we start rushing and then we lose our games like that.”

Cele said Chiefs' situation is self-inflicted, bemoaning their inability to control games and admitting the club is in “crisis”.

“We're giving the games away ourselves. It's not the opponents that give us problems, it's just us. We tend to lose control very easily and it's frustrating,” Cele said.

“For Chiefs to be sitting where we're sitting [eighth with 29 points from 23 games], it's not nice. It is a crisis; you can call it a crisis because even we as a team know we can do way better.

“With the coach, it's a message that's always there to say, 'control, control', so we can create more chances and be calm at the back to win games.

“When you lose control of the game, you find yourself making silly mistakes. We must improve on the control aspect, so we can be organised when we lose the ball.”

Chiefs will be eager to end their three-game winless streak in the league against Galaxy.

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