Siphesihle Ndlovu urges Kaizer Chiefs personnel to maintain momentum and finish high

Kaizer Chiefs have vowed to play as a team and wear their hearts on their sleeves whenever they take the pitch until the end of the season to ensure they achieve their targets.

Chiefs are eager to salvage their season by finishing in the Top 3 of the Betway Premiership standings after falling behind in the title race, missing out on the MTN8, Carling Knockout, and CAF Confederation Cup, and failing to defend the Nedbank Cup.

Their aspirations have seen a revival in recent weeks after a slump. They’ve won their last three games in a row, including a 3-1 victory over Orbit College at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Easter Monday.

That win over the Mswenko Boys elevated them to third on the log while giving Amakhosi faithful hope that the team could finish the season with their highest point tally (66) since the 2014/15 season (69) if they win their last nine games.

Chiefs will want to build on this momentum and restore the faith of supporters by beating TS Galaxy in the league clash at FNB Stadium on Sunday (3pm), marking four league wins in a row for the first time since April 2023 under coach Arthur Zwane.

Speaking to the club’s media department on Thursday, Siphesihle Ndlovu revealed what the team has been focusing on to secure at least a CAF qualifying spot for next season.

“For us, it’s just about unity,” Ndlovu said. “We need to be committed in everything we do. It’s a crucial time of the season – injuries can occur, and everyone is playing for points or something.

“We need to stick together at this time and make sure that we fight until the end in all the games we play. The most important thing is to give the fans a fight, even if it’s not a good day. To show the fight.”

Despite their determination, Chiefs won’t have it easy. Their nine remaining opponents will also be fighting – either to win the championship, finish in the Top 3 or Top 8, or avoid relegation.

Galaxy, moreover, have had a mixed run of form in domestic football. They are winless in their last eight games, losing seven and drawing one, while they are also preparing for the Nedbank Cup final against Durban City.

The Rockets remain a tough opponent for Chiefs, having been a bogey side historically, including making history as the first and only lower-division team to win the Nedbank Cup after beating Amakhosi in the 2019 final.

Ndlovu is aware of the threat Adnan Beganovic’s side poses but has called on his teammates and coaches to live up to their favourites’ tag.

“At this time of the season, it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen,” Ndlovu said. “It’s going to be a very interesting game. We need to thoroughly prepare for them and continue our winning streak. That’s what we need – to finish in a high position.

“For our club, expectations are very high. We need to live up to them. The best way to do that is to continue our winning streak and hope people come back to the stadium.”

Ndlovu has backed up his words on the pitch, helping the team end the season on a high. He was pleased with scoring his second goal of the season in Chiefs’ win over Orbit.

“It’s so great to move from my first to my second goal of the season,” Ndlovu said. “It all comes down to the effort we’ve been putting in as a team. We made an agreement as a team that certain things would change, and we committed to implementing those changes. I am so happy for my second goal of the season.”