Sad and excruciating, but Mdu Shabalala promises to pull the Chiefs out of their mess.
When Mduduzi Shabalala was elevated from the club’s development rank to the senior team last season, he had no idea that Kaizer Chiefs’ hardships would last for so long.
However, Shabalala, who grew up in Senaoane, Soweto, was a member of Arthur Zwane’s squad that narrowly missed out on the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) top eight the previous season. Now, under interim coach Cavin Johnson, Shabalala is finishing the current campaign in a similar situation.
After losing their first seven league games in 2024, Chiefs will try to win their second one this Saturday in Polokwane against SuperSport United. The Soweto giants have fallen out of the top eight after their last three losses to relegation-threatened Richards Bay, Chippa United, and Stellenbosch.
Habalala is still determined to place among the top eight this season.
Chiefs will play five games remaining after the SuperSport match: at home against TS Galaxy, away at AmaZulu FC, against runaway log leadersP at home against Polokwane City, and away at Cape Town Spurs.
Shabalala told the media on Thursday, “We need to keep going even though things [results] are not going our way,” in reference to the club’s predicament.
“We haven’t had a great season, but we still have six games left.” If we can win this Saturday, we believe that everything will simply turn [in our favor] in one game. Since we are not far from the top eight in the table, we can return there.
Because that is what drives us, it all comes down to believing in ourselves and doing it for our families and fans.
What Shabalala is talking about will seem unrealistic in light of the most recent results, as the Chiefs have had numerous chances to at least lock up a spot in the top eight, but they have given them away and Johnson has not been able to lead the team to success.
Shabalala is resolute in his resolve to stay among the players who will bring the Chiefs back to life in the upcoming seasons, despite everything.
Regarding the club’s predicament, Shabalala remarked, “It’s sad and it hurts.” “Seeing people doubt you and not having faith in you when you wake up every morning is offensive because it implies you’re not a good player.”
Shabalala is displaying maturity in the way he responds to the knocks he receives from skeptics he encounters off the field. In his 13 games this season, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder has failed to score and has only contributed one assist.
“I simply maintain my composure. We understand what we’ve been through,” Shabalala retorted to his detractors.
