A hard-fought 1-0 victory over Marumo Gallants has propelled Kaizer
Chiefs to second place on the Betway Premiership table. The crucial win was
secured by a stunning late first-half goal from Glody Lilepo, following a
stern team talk from coach Cedric Kaze.
Addressing the media after the match, Kaze revealed he was “very, very
harsh” on his players at halftime, demanding a significant improvement after
a subpar opening period.
“We started well for the first 10 minutes, but after that the performance
was not good enough,” Kaze admitted. “We were reactive, weak in our duels,
and gave Marumo too much space to play for about 20 to 25 minutes. We were
better in the last 10-15 minutes of the half, and that’s why at halftime we
made it clear we cannot accept that kind of performance for such a big
team.”
The co-coach emphasized that his halftime instructions were clear: play with
more conviction and aggression. “We need to go on the front foot, press
higher, and win the ball back quickly. The boys came back in the second half
very eager to do that, and we are happy with the three points.”
Kaze reserved special praise for match-winner Lilepo, whose spectacular
strike broke the deadlock. “What a goal—it’s not one you see every day. I’m
happy for him. After his injury against Simba, he was coming back slowly and
there was some pressure, but he responded well because he is a big player
who can make the difference.”
With a congested fixture schedule, Kaze also highlighted the necessity of
squad rotation. “Sometimes, even when you don’t want to rotate, it becomes a
necessity. We had to rotate a bit today without losing our balance, and the
boys who came in during the second half helped us.”
Chiefs now turn their focus back to continental competition,
preparing for a CAF Confederation Cup group stage rematch against Zambia’s
Zesco United, whom they defeated 1-0 last Sunday.
