Kaizer Chiefs’ Cedric Kaze was impressed by the control Luke Baartman offered against Marumo Gallants. Kaizer Chiefs’ narrow victory over Marumo Gallants on Wednesday night may not have been fluent, but it was rich in substance — the kind of result that speaks to a team learning how to survive demanding moments while juggling competing priorities. For Cedric Kaze, the performance was as much about management as it was about momentum.
Chiefs were forced into rotation, not by choice but by circumstance, and the co-coach was frank about the compromises that come with that territory as the likes of Paseko Mako, Asanele Velebayi and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo got unfamiliar starts. “Sometimes it’s difficult because even when you don’t want to make rotation, it becomes a necessity and that’s why today (against Gallants) we had to rotate,” Kaze said. That rotation showed at times, particularly in the first half where Chiefs lacked rhythm and cohesion on a notoriously awkward surface.
Gallants pressed, disrupted and made life uncomfortable, but Amakhosi found a way to stay in the contest — a trait that has increasingly defined their season. Kaze admitted that the changes cost Chiefs some balance, yet he was encouraged by the response from the bench as the match wore on. “It does contribute to us losing our balance but the boys did well as well as the ones that came on in the second half, the likes of Fabio Silva, Given Msimango, Siphesihle Ndlovu and Luke Baartman; they helped us to put the foot on the ball and to play with more control,” he said.
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That control proved decisive. Chiefs steadied themselves, slowed the game down and eventually found the breakthrough, turning a potentially frustrating evening into a valuable three points. It was not spectacular, but it was effective — and Kaze made no apologies for that.
“It’s a big win away from home for us on a very difficult field. We are a big team that should always find a way to win under any condition,” he added. The Naturena technical team were under no illusions about the challenge they had just navigated.
Gallants’ home ground has been a stumbling block for many, and Kaze believes Wednesday’s result may age well as the season progresses. “What I saw today, I’m not sure there’s a lot of teams that are going to be able to win on that field,” he said.
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