Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has promised an improved side this term after they struggled for consistency last season and ended up missing out on competing in the MTN8.
Chiefs will start the new Premier Soccer League campaign away to Stellenbosch — a side they beat three times across all competitions last season — at Cape Town Stadium at 3pm on Sunday.
“I would not say much about [challenging for] the league title, but I will take it game by game, and I’m pretty sure we will be better than the previous season,” Nabi said after the launch of the new season in Sandton on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be a tough league, but we know where we have come from and where we want to go, and we are looking forward to it.
“We are ready.”
Even though they won the Nedbank Cup last season, Nabi emphasised the need to remain consistent throughout the campaign if they were to succeed again.
“Our main target and priority is to put the club back where it belongs.
“I have noticed that people don’t want to hear about the process, but last season, even though it was our first year, we managed to win one of the two major trophies that we played.
“This season, we will take it game by game and try to be consistent, and we will see where we will finish.”
Meanwhile, Stellies coach Steve Barker insisted they would not be reading too much into last season’s struggles against Chiefs nor would they be thinking about revenge on Sunday.
“It is important that one doesn’t dwell on last season’s results, [though] obviously the performances one must look at.
“We know how the matches went, and I felt two of the three we were unlucky not to get something out of the game,” Barker said.
“So, [there are] one or two areas that we need to be better at than we were last season, but it is a fresh campaign with new players. I’m not going there to avenge last season’s results. The expectations and pressure are on them more than on us.
“They are expected to get off to a good start with all the signings they made in the last two seasons.”
Fixtures:
Saturday: Chippa vs Sundowns, Nelson Mandela Bay (3pm); AmaZulu vs Orbit, Princess Magogo (3pm); Bay vs Gallants, King Zwelithini (3pm); Polokwane vs Magesi, Old Peter Mokaba (3pm); Pirates vs Sekhukhune, Orlando (5.30pm); Siwelele vs Arrows, Dr Petrus Molemela (8pm).
Sunday: Galaxy vs Durban, Mbombela (3pm); Stellenbosch vs Chiefs, Cape Town (5.30pm).
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