TOUR CONFIRMED Kaizer Chiefs head to the Netherlands for pre-season training after winning their first trophy in 10 years, aiming to improve their performance following a ninth-place league finish. Picture: Itumeleng English/Independent Media
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Media
Kaizer Chiefs on Thursday confirmed they will be heading to the Netherlands for their pre-season preparations next month.
Until Thursday, Chiefs had not revealed which European country they would be travelling to.
Chiefs, though, have not disclosed a match schedule in their stay in the country which runs from July 3 to 19.
Chiefs won their first piece of silverware in 10 years when they beat rivals Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final in Durban in May.
Kaizer Chiefs' Struggles Despite Popularity: Analysing Their Ongoing Trophy Drought
However, after finishing 10th in the league, another middling season outside the top eight materialised once more as they finished ninth in the Betway Premiership.
Since the start of his tenure at the beginning of the season, Nasreddine Nabi has called for patience from the club’s supporters.
The Soweto Giants, even though they are a ‘team in transition’, should not be finishing worse than eighth given their extensive resources.
Mamelodi Sundowns recently won their eighth league title in a row, yet Chiefs remain the most popular team in South Africa.
In fact, Sundowns are the richest club in Africa but cannot eclipse Amakhosi in the popularity stakes.
According to Meta AI, Chiefs have over 40 million fans, while Sundowns have just over 10 million. Fellow Soweto Giants Orlando Pirates are third with around eight million.
Popularity, however, doesn’t win championships, and that is certainly true in the case of Chiefs.
The fact that Chiefs went so long without winning a trophy simply doesn’t cut it and hopefully, for Chiefs, something clicks while they’re in the Netherlands.