Posted in News, Youth Academy on Jan 11, 2019.
The last time the side was in action was on 2 December 2018, losing 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns.
“We worked for a few weeks after the Sundowns game,” comments reserve team coach Arthur Zwane. “We then went on a short recess during the festive season. The boys were provided with a programme to follow and it’s good to see that they returned still looking sharp and ready.”
Zwane wants to end the season on a high, “We are working hard since we started training again on 3 January. We played a friendly and are in top condition.”
Zwane helped Chiefs’ new head coach Ernst Middendorp and his assistant Shaun Bartlett towards the end of 2018.
“I’m fortunate to have had an opportunity to work with the technical team of the senior side recently,” he confirms. “I’m glad the football language is consistent throughout the Kaizer Chiefs system. The teachings are similar with what we want to achieve as a club.”
Zwane once played alongside Bartlett and both were coached by Middendorp and he sees this as synergy personified, destined to help Amakhosi return to conquering days.
“We are encouraged by the performance of the first team,” adds the reserve side coach, while looking ahead to the game against Baroka on Saturday. “The current performance of the first team is telling and encouraging. It is important for me to have a close link with them and preach the same gospel to my young boys.
“The match against Baroka will be tough. As always, any team playing Chiefs will bring their A-game to the pitch. However, the way we have been preparing, we are ready.”
Zwane was on the bench when Chiefs faced German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in a friendly last weekend. “The match was competitive,” he reflects. “It is always important to sample your tactics against teams from abroad. You don’t get a chance to play this kind of opposition too often. The experience will come handy when I take the bench for our reserve league game on Saturday.”
The Chiefs and Baroka match will be preceded at 10:00 by a fixture between Cape Town City and Mamelodi Sundowns. The MultiChoice Disk Challenge festival matches will be shown live on SS4/10.