Zitha Kwinika confident Kaizer Chiefs can win league title

Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika believes the club can win the league this season and has praised new coach Fernando da Cruz for his focus on improving the finer details of the team’s play.

Chiefs have made an encouraging start under Da Cruz, winning two of their opening four league fixtures. They will seek a third victory of the campaign when they host Siwelele at Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 17:30.

Speaking at Kaizer Chiefs’ media open day at Naturena on Wednesday, Kwinika said the club’s ultimate objective should be to challenge for the title.

“What would look like success at the end of the season is winning the league … and it’s possible,” Kwinika said.

Kaizer Chiefs have not won the league since the 2014-15 season, but they remain within reach of the early pace-setters. Amakhosi are five points behind joint leaders Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, although both of those teams have played one more match.

Kwinika said the points gap meant Chiefs could still establish themselves in the title race, provided they continue to develop under Da Cruz. The defender identified the coach’s attention to detail as one of the main reasons for the team’s progress in the opening matches of the season.

The Frenchman has placed particular emphasis on the basics of the game rather than concentrating only on major tactical ideas. According to Kwinika, that approach has influenced the way Chiefs have performed and has helped the players understand what is expected of them.

“He [Da Cruz] is emphasising on doing small things correctly, and that has contributed a lot in how we’ve played so far this season. He’s not necessarily obsessed about big things, but he wants us to get the basics right. He’s so obsessed about those small football details like body positioning, spacing, etc,” Kwinika stated.

The defender described Da Cruz as both a teacher and a very good coach, stressing that the players needed to absorb his instructions if they were to benefit fully from the new manager’s methods.

“He’s a teacher and a very good coach. It’s very important for us as players to grasp his teachings because they are beneficial. We are on the right track and heading in the right direction.”

That belief will be tested against Siwelele on Sunday, when Chiefs return to league action looking to convert their positive start into another victory. A third win would strengthen their position behind Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns while providing further evidence that Da Cruz’s methods are taking hold.

For Kwinika, however, the target extends beyond short-term improvement. Despite Chiefs’ long wait for another league title, he considers winning the competition this season a realistic ambition for the Glamour Boys.