I understand their frustration: Zwane on being booed by Chiefs fans

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane says supporters who booed him at Peter Mokaba Stadium after his team’s 3-2 Premiership defeat to Lamontville Golden Arrows on Sunday are within their rights and he understands their frustration.

Amakhosi lost despite twice leading through goals from Sifiso Hlanti (8th minute) and Mduduzi Shabalala (42nd) in Polokwane, and the result seems a crucial blow to their hopes of finishing in second place and clinching a Caf Champions League spot.

Zwane’s men were sunk by a brace from Knox Mutizwa (69th and 78th minutes) that followed a goal by Ntsako Makhubela in added time at the end of the first half. 

“Ja [they were booing me]. Look, it’s within their rights. They are disappointed because they believed we should have won this game,” Zwane said in his postmatch media conference.

“I also believed we should have wrapped it up in the first half. We let ourselves down and I understand their frustrations.”

Zwane believes Chiefs paid the price of failing to execute their plan for the game. “I think we started a bit slow. Though we were in control we didn’t apply a high-pressing game to force them to make mistakes.

“We allowed them time and space on the ball and that was what we were trying to avoid because we didn’t want them to settle and gain confidence. But the good thing is that we managed to get a goal just to unsettle them.

“But still, after the goal we took the foot off the pedal again and gave them a bit of respect and I don’t know why. We looked a bit heavy, we were playing in patches.

“Though we created more chances to go into half-time at least leading by three goals, in the critical phase of the game we conceded when we were sending the message to the guys to kill the game.”

A defeat for Chiefs was not the ideal entry to Saturday’s big clash against arch-rivals Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium (3.30pm), though Amakhosi will also know the Soweto derby seldom goes to form.