Kaizer Chiefs Seek Crucial Win Against Polokwane City to Salvage Season and Avoid Unwanted Record

Kaizer Chiefs will head into their final match of the 2024/25 DStv Premiership season against Polokwane City on Saturday with far more than just three points at stake. The clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium carries significant implications for the club’s short-term future, as well as its long-standing reputation.

While securing a win will be the immediate goal, the broader ambition is to sneak into the Top Eight and book a spot in next season’s MTN8 competition. This would offer Chiefs a valuable shot at silverware early in the new campaign — momentum they desperately need after their recent Nedbank Cup triumph provided a rare bright spot in a troubled season.

However, victories in the league have been painfully elusive for Amakhosi under new head coach Nasreddine Nabi. Chiefs are currently enduring an eight-game winless streak in the league, their worst such run in over two decades. Failing to beat Polokwane City would see them match their longest-ever run without a league win in PSL history — a nine-match slump experienced between December 2001 and January 2002 under Muhsin Ertugral.

Since their last league victory over two months ago, Chiefs have stumbled in matches against Cape Town City, Richards Bay FC, Golden Arrows, TS Galaxy, Chippa United, Marumo Gallants, fierce rivals Orlando Pirates, and Sekhukhune United. Their inability to turn performances into points has left them in 9th place — the same position they finished in during the infamous 2001/02 campaign.

Back then, Chiefs found solace in cup glory, lifting the BP Top8, Coca-Cola Cup, and CAF Cup Winners’ Cup. But in the current landscape, such success will be harder to replicate if the team continues to underperform in the league.

Long winless streaks have sadly become more frequent in recent seasons. Under Gavin Hunt in 2020/21, Chiefs went seven games without a league win, matching similar dry spells under Ernst Middendorp in 2019 and Steve Komphela in 2016. While each of those slumps brought pressure, the current situation is especially dire given the expectations placed on Nabi and the turbulent backdrop of yet another transitional season.

A win on Saturday would not only boost morale heading into the off-season but also help Chiefs avoid equalling a grim club record. More importantly, it could grant them a seat at the MTN8 table — a competition they’ve traditionally valued and used as a platform for early-season success.

For a club of Kaizer Chiefs’ stature, mediocrity is never acceptable. And while their 2024/25 season may not be remembered fondly, Saturday offers a chance to end it with purpose, pride, and perhaps, a step toward redemption.