Ex-Chiefs striker blasts impatient fans over striker struggles
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A former Kaizer Chiefs striker says the club’s goalscoring problems stem from fans not giving new forwards enough time to settle. Photo: Gallo Images
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Ex-Chiefs striker blasts impatient fans over striker struggles
Sep 11, 2026 – 11:05 am
By Sipho Mlotha
A former Kaizer Chiefs striker says the reason the club has been struggling to find a striker who will solve their goalscoring problems is because new forwards are not given enough time by fans to settle into the team.
So far in the new season, the Amakhosi strike force has shown some improvement and looks significantly better compared to the previous campaign. Under their new coach, Fernando Da Cruz, the Chiefs forwards have been playing with more tempo — though the team’s momentum has been disrupted by unexpected injuries.
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Chiefs’ current strike force includes Luke Baartman, Flavio Silva, Wandile Duba, Etiosa Ighodaro and the injured Khanyisa Mayo — a group that the former striker believes should be given time to gel rather than being constantly shuffled or added to.
Speaking to KickOff, the former Amakhosi forward believes the solution lies in patience and careful management rather than constantly recruiting new faces.
“When a new coach comes in, he usually has his ideas, and the mandate is, obviously, between them and the management, but it has to be Champions League and challenging for the PSL title. Whether they need more players, I think it’s entirely up to the coach. He’s got to deliver on the mandate; that’s what is important,” Niemach told KickOff.
“The issue with the current Chiefs strikers is how you fit them in, how the coach can get the best out of them. It doesn’t help to add two more strikers and then find yourself with seven, like the previous coach used to. You must stick with only the strikers you will need. Try to make the ones you have better.”
The former striker concluded with a pointed message about the culture of impatience in South African football, urging supporters to allow Da Cruz the time to find the right combinations up front.
“Sometimes, we are too quick to complain and say ‘Hey, this one must go.’ That’s how we are in South Africa; we don’t give people a chance. Let’s allow the coach to work with the strikers so he can find out which combinations work best,” Niemach concluded.