Kaizer Chiefs coach Cedric Kaze hails fiercely competitive Premiership season

Kaizer Chiefs coach Cedric Kaze believes the current Premiership season marked a significant shift in South African football, insisting the league became far more competitive with several clubs proving capable of challenging for top honours.

For nearly a decade, Mamelodi Sundowns have dominated the domestic scene, winning league title after league title with little resistance from their rivals. However, this season has painted a very different picture, with Orlando Pirates emerging as serious contenders and Kaizer Chiefs also showing notable improvement after years of inconsistency.

Sundowns, who have ruled South African football for the past eight seasons, are now in danger of surrendering their crown to Orlando Pirates — a scenario few would have predicted at the beginning of the campaign. Equally surprising has been the resurgence of Chiefs, who have spent several years struggling to break back into the upper echelon of the league standings.

Under Kaze’s guidance, Amakhosi have displayed greater consistency, competitiveness, and belief throughout the season, reigniting hope among supporters that the club is gradually returning to its former glory.

Speaking about the nature of the title race and the balance within the league this season, Kaze highlighted how no side managed to establish overwhelming dominance as had been the case in previous campaigns.

“Yeah, I would say that the league this season, there was not any dominating team in the league this season,” said Kaze.

“Everyone was competing and I believe that as well we were very close until probably late January, but as well it’s a lesson that we learned from what we could have done differently maybe to stay in contact with the local leaders.”

The Burundian tactician acknowledged that Chiefs were firmly in the mix for a significant portion of the campaign before inconsistencies later in the season affected their momentum. Nevertheless, he believes the progress made by the club should not be overlooked.

Kaze pointed out that the points tally and overall performances this season represent clear improvement compared to previous years when Chiefs often found themselves far behind the league’s elite sides.

“But if you see about the difference between the points that we have now this season comparing with the previous seasons, it’s true that there is a big difference, but as well this team deserves better things,” he added.

The comments reflect growing optimism around Naturena as Chiefs continue their rebuilding process. While the club may still have work to do before reclaiming domestic supremacy, their competitiveness this season has offered encouragement to a fan base desperate for sustained success.

For years, the Premier Soccer League has largely revolved around Sundowns’ superiority, with the Brazilians often wrapping up the title race well before the final weeks of the season. This campaign, however, has brought renewed excitement, unpredictability, and intensity, with multiple clubs showing they can compete at the highest level.

Orlando Pirates’ emergence as genuine title challengers has added further intrigue to the league, while Chiefs’ improvement has restored some balance among South Africa’s traditional football powerhouses.

As the season approaches its climax, Kaze believes the lessons learned during this campaign could help Kaizer Chiefs take another major step forward next season. With increased confidence, improved performances, and a more competitive squad, Amakhosi will hope to build on this progress and re-establish themselves among the dominant forces in South African football.