Following a grueling training session at Kaizer Chiefs Village, in Naturena, goalkeeper, Brilliant ‘Cassilas’ Khuzwayo spoke to kaizerchiefs.com about his first season as a Glamour Boy and what drives him and his aspirations for the future.

What drives you to wake up in the morning?

Knowing that I have dependents, a family and friends that are proud of the job I do at Kaizer Chiefs. I want to make them proud and to achieve that I need to wake up and train every day and be the best goalkeeper I can be for the Club.

What was playing in your car as you drove to training this morning?

I am a big music fan and listen to both RnB and Hip Hop. This morning I was playing Tray Songs. I love his Chapter 5 album.

What are your other interests outside football?

I do not have much time, all I do is to train on my own when we are not training as the Team.

How would you summarize you stay with the Club so far?

It was of course different as compared to where I played before, at AmaZulu via Thanda Royal Zulu. I had to adjust to the new surroundings but that did not take long.

The past season was also all about learning from Goalkeeper Coach Rainer Dinkelacker, Itu (Itumeleng Khune) and Arthur Bartman. They really helped me to settle and of course develop my game to the next level. I continue to learn a lot from my colleagues in the goalkeeping department including our new goalkeeper coach, Dennis Rudel.

I am learning a lot from Itu, we talk everyday about my game and life general. I am learning a lot about staying hungry and focused. Itu with all he has achieved in his career thus far is still as hungry as ever and has remained humble. He comes to training and works very hard and always want to improve as a goalkeeper.

How was the feeling like to be part of the team that won the double last season?

(Smiling) It was a great feeling to be part of the squad that made history. I got to taste victory as a professional which felt really good. As a player you want to be in a team that wins trophies and this Club has a culture of winning. I am hoping to win more during my stay here.

Last season I did not play much except for the game against Platinum Stars at Peter Mokaba Stadium. I did feel after the season that I had made a contribution to the success of the Club despite not featuring in most of the games.

The game against Platinum Stars was no ordinary game; did you feel the pressure to do well in that game?

The pressure was more from outside, the supporters and the media. The entire team was behind me and they believed I could do the job that afternoon. I am glad finally as a defence we did not concede a goal.

This morning after training you had a long discussion with Stuart Baxter and Dennis Rudel…

The Coach was speaking to me about the importance of staying focused. He mentioned that we might play close to 50 games this season and with injuries, suspensions I needed to be ready to play when called to do so. He told me that he wants me to improve my focus and he in conjunction with goalkeeper coaches will help me with the material to use even at home to remain focused.

What goals have your set yourself this season?

I would like to play more games than I played last season and contribute to the success of the team. I will continue working hard in training and learning from my colleagues and the Technical Team.

How is the start of the season so far?

We had a good start of the season when we beat Black Aces last week and knocking out University of Pretoria to progress to MTN8 semifinals. It is important that we continue with that momentum. We have the quality to do even better than we did last season. We know that the pressure will be coming from all angles but we have the experience and the quality here to deal with the pressure.

We want to do better than we did last season and if we continue working as a unit I have no doubt that we will even win more trophies as a Team this season.

The tattoo on your left arm….

(Smiling) It is about my late mother (Thokozile Elizabeth). She was my mentor and a pillar of strength. She continues to be there for me in all that I do. This tattoo is all about her!

Thank you Brilliant for your time and all the best for the rest of the season!

Thanks to everyone at Kaizer Chiefs for the support. I cannot forget to thank the fans who have rallied behind the Team. Thank you very much!