By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Interim coach Arthur Zwane says he wants to help Kaizer Chiefs become “one of the best teams on the continent” as they prepare to face Lamontville Golden Arrows in a DStv Premiership clash at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Wednesday.
Zwane has taken over along with his fellow assistant Dillon Sheppard following the sacking of Stuart Baxter last week, and has been given until the end of the season before a decision is made on a new coach.
Chiefs are still hopeful of finishing in second and winning a place in the Caf Champions League next season, and Zwane says that must be their aim. They got off to a disappointing start with a 1-0 loss to Stellenbosch FC at the weekend.
“Any change will cause a little bit of disruption because, firstly, we are trying to change the style of play,” Zwane said.
“Secondly, it will affect individuals. Either they will adapt to the way we want to play as a club or we must have an identity where, when we go out to look for players, those players must fit into our system and understand what is expected of them.
“It might take some time, but we are hoping that come next season, we should be ready to compete with the rest because that’s what we are trying to do right now.
Yes, we want the results, we are desperate, very desperate to go back to Africa.
“We tasted that glory a little bit [in reaching the final last season] so we want to go back and conquer the African continent and be one of the best teams on the continent.”
Meanwhile Premier Soccer League prosecutor Zola Majavu confirmed that the league’s appeal of the arbiter award in favour of Chiefs, which said their two matches from December against Lamontville Golden Arrows and Cape Town City, should be played, is set down for the High Court on May 10.
The league wants Chiefs to forfeit the points from those games, which were not played due to a Covid-19 outbreak at Naturena, but they are scheduled to be played this week – versus Arrows on Wednesday and City on Saturday.
Even if Chiefs win both, they could yet be stripped of the points by the courts if the PSL are successful in their action.
Majavu has also confirmed that the Soweto club will appear before a PSL Disciplinary Committee on May 13 after being charged with fielding ineligible players in their 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United on December 12.
According to the league, Aden McCarthy and Mduduzi Shabalala were registered for the DStv Diski Challenge and not the DStv Premiership when they featured in the game.
Chiefs face losing those points too, with Majavu stressing that the matter must be finalised on the day of the hearing.
The league are anxious of both matters spilling over beyond the scheduled end of the season, which is scheduled for May 21.
Though they will have no bearing on the title race or relegation, it will potentially affect the race for Caf qualification spots and the top eight.