FOOTBALL Shabalala vows to lift Chiefs out of slump

• Published date: 26 April 2024
• Publication title: Business Day (Johannesburg, South Africa)

But Shabalala, born and raised in Senaoane, Soweto, was part of Arthur Zwane’s team that just managed to creep into the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) top eight last season, and is ending the current campaign under interim coach Cavin Johnson in similar circumstances

Chiefs will take on SuperSport United in Polokwane on Saturday, hoping to earn their second league victory in 2024 after failing to do so in seven games.

The last three defeats to Stellenbosch, Chippa United and relegation-threatened Richards Bay have taken the Soweto giants out of the top eight.

But Shabalala has not given up on finishing in the top eight this season.

After the SuperSport game Chiefs will have five matches to go: against runaway log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, AmaZulu FC away, Polokwane City at home, Cape Town Spurs away and TS Galaxy at home.

"We need to keep going even though things [results] are not going our way," was Shabalala’s response to the club’s situation when he faced the media on Thursday.

"It’s not been a good season for us, but we still have six games to go," he said.

"We think everything can just turn [in our favour] in one game if we can win Saturday’s game. We can go back to the top eight because in the table that we’re not that far.

"It’s all about believing in ourselves, doing it for...