It's unbelievable, says K…
It's unbelievable, says Kaze of the spirit at Chiefs as they gun for Arrows and Zesco

20 January 2026
It's unbelievable, says Kaze of the spirit at Chiefs as they gun for Arrows and Zesco
There will be plenty of action to whet the appetite when the second and final part of the 2025/2026 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season resumes after a dramatic finish to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco on Sunday.
The exit of Bafana Bafana in the last 16 of Afcon has helped all the PSL clubs to start preparing for the continuation of their campaigns early, with Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Stellenbosch benefiting the most as they also have inter-continental matches to worry about in the coming days.
Sundowns, who host Al-Hilal of Sudan in the third round of the Caf Champions League group stages on Friday, will be looking to maintain top spot after starting with a win and draw. Chiefs will be away to Zesco United of Zambia on Sunday in the third round of the Caf Confederation Cup group stages.
Amakhosi have a lot to do in their group after only gaining one point in the last two matches against Egyptian giants Zamalek and Al Masry.
Stellies, who have coach Gavin Hunt as their new man at the helm after the departure of long-serving Steve Barker, have been busy in the market during the January window. They have boosted their squad with two notable signings in former Sundowns defender Mosa Lebusa and Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa.
While Stellies have battled with form in the Betway Premiership and languish near the bottom, Hunt cannot afford to lose the solid foundation laid by his predecessor in the Confed Cup, where they lead Group C with four points after two games.
The Cape Winelands outfit will look to consolidate their lead when they visit CR Belouizdad of Algeria on Sunday where even a draw will not be a bad result.
But before these three teams turn their attention to continental matters they will have played at least one league match in what will be a tight schedule ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America in June.
Defending league champions Sundowns hosted newcomers Orbit College FC in Pretoria on Monday, while Chiefs will play Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium on Tuesday and Stellies travel to Polokwane to face Sekhukhune United on Tuesday before departing for Algeria.
It is this hectic programme that had Chiefs co-head coach Cedric Kaze sweating for answers at Naturena in Johannesburg on Monday as he explained how they plan to juggle their squad after resuming training on December 28.
"The games are going to be hectic. We spent the last two weeks thinking about how we're going to manage the schedule because it's very hectic.
"There are some games that we're going to travel from one to go straight to another venue before coming to Johannesburg.
"Imagine playing in Bloemfontein against Marumo (Gallants) next week, but as well at the weekend we'll play in Durban against Zesco, which means that the time to come here does not exist.
"We had a meeting with the players to show them the schedule and everyone knows that he is going to get time to play. But the most important thing is to make those minutes count because when you're given a chance you need to be ready.
"This is about everyone, but the good thing is the attitude that we have seen at training in the last few weeks. It's unbelievable.
"Everyone is working hard, everyone is running crazy to try to earn the spot to play."
But while the trio worry about their continental commitments, all eyes will be on Pirates to see if they can end Sundowns' dominance in the league that has seen them winning the South African title eight times in a row.
The Buccaneers have had an incredible start under Moroccan coach Abdeslam Ouaddou and should regain their top spot on Friday when they visit Sekhukhune in Polokwane.
Pirates were two points ahead of Sundowns with a game in hand when the season closed for the Afcon break and will be looking to avenge the defeat they suffered against Sekhukhune in the opening league fixture.