The Great Debate | Can Kaizer Chiefs actually win the Betway Premiership?

For the first time in a decade, the air around Naturena is thick with genuine expectation rather than cautious hope. At the midway point of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season, Kaizer Chiefs find themselves in a position few predicted: breathing down the necks of Mamelodi Sundowns.

With only two points separating the Glamour Boys from the summit, the debate over their title credentials has divided the football fraternity.

Here, Mihlali Baleka and Smiso Msomi weigh up whether the 2025/26 league trophy is destined for the Chiefs cabinet or if the foundations are still being laid.

Why Amakhosi will win the league

The winds of change are blowing in Naturena, and Amakhosi appear poised to reclaim the chieftaincy of South African football sooner than most had imagined.

Chiefs sit second on the log in the Betway Premiership with 30 points.

Of course, that might not be reason enough for those associated with the club to put the champagne on ice, as the league is a marathon. But Chiefs seem focused, doing just about what is necessary to get the job done.

The great Sir Alex Ferguson, former Manchester United manager, was once asked what it takes to succeed after winning multiple trophies, including 13 Premier League titles.

He said: “Defence wins you titles; strikers win you games.”

By that measure, Chiefs are on the right track.

This Chiefs team has not been efficient in the final third. However, their defence has been rock-solid, with goalkeeper Brandon Petersen keeping 11 clean sheets in the league.

Chiefs have also lacked fluidity in their game model and style of play, often scraping through matches. But that has allowed certain individuals to step up and show heart in the team’s quest to return to glory.

It would be unjustifiable to say former coach Nasreddine Nabi held the team back. However, the work done by his former trusted lieutenants, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, deserves commendation.

The duo know they are not everyone’s cup of tea, often ridiculed for lacking pedigree or being deemed not good enough to coach Chiefs. But instead of letting that criticism weigh them down, they have used it as motivation to go about their business quietly.

Since Kaze and Ben Youssef took over the reins, there have been few — if any — reports of a disorganised dressing room, as everyone, regulars or stand-ins, seems to be adhering to the task at hand. That cohesion is a hallmark of a team that has stuck together through both highs and lows.  |  Mihlali Baleka

Why Amakhosi will not win the league

At the halfway point of the Premiership season, Kaizer Chiefs find themselves in a position that flatters to deceive. While the league table may suggest Amakhosi are in the title conversation, a deeper look at their performances reveals a team still some distance from true contention.

The most telling issue lies in attack.

Chiefs have scored just 15 goals in 15 league matches this season — an average of one goal per game. That return is simply not sustainable for a side harbouring championship ambitions. By comparison, Mamelodi Sundowns have scored nine more goals over the same period, a clear indication of the attacking efficiency required to stay at the summit.

Title-winning teams do not rely on fine margins every week; they impose themselves, stretch opponents, and turn dominance into goals. Chiefs too often scrape through games rather than control them.

Sure, clean sheets keep you in matches, but — as the Ferguson analogy above insists — goals win you titles. Chiefs are doing the former far better than the latter.

Compounding the issue is the absence of a settled back four, despite the clean sheets. Personnel changes and tactical tweaks have meant that defensive partnerships are still being shaped midway through the season.

While the structure has largely held, championship sides thrive on defensive familiarity — players who instinctively read each other’s movements under pressure. Chiefs are not quite there yet.

Performance levels also remain a concern. Despite opening the year with three wins and three clean sheets in all competitions, Chiefs have not consistently matched the authority and control shown by Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. Those sides dictate tempo, dominate territory, and play with a certainty that Chiefs are still developing. Amakhosi often look reactive rather than assertive, solid rather than superior.

There is undeniable progress at Naturena. The fight is back, the structure is improving, and results have stabilised.

But at halfway, Chiefs resemble a team laying foundations rather than one ready to lift silverware. | Smiso Msomi