Kaizer Chiefs are not back — they are merely stumbling forward with a blindfold on, and the recent win streak against cannon fodder is a mirage, not a resurrection. Sure, Nasreddine Nabi’s side strung together victories over Magesi FC and second-tier Orbit College, but that is the bare minimum for a club that once demanded trophies, not moral victories. Any illusion of a genuine turnaround was shattered by the 2-1 loss to Polokwane City at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, where Chiefs’ trademark defensive disorganization returned with a vengeance. Polokwane, a mid-table side with nothing to prove, carved through the backline as if it were tissue paper, leaving Yusuf Maart and the midfield chasing shadows. The numbers do not lie: in that match, Chiefs managed only three shots on target against a team that conceded twice as many goals in the previous five fixtures. This is not a dominant force rediscovering its roar; this is a side that feasts on the weak and wilts against anyone with a pulse.
The deeper malaise is that Chiefs cannot impose their will on the so-called smaller teams, which is precisely where championship credentials are forged. The wins against Magesi and Orbit College were labored, scrappy affairs saved by individual brilliance from Ashley Du Preez and a fortunate deflection — not a coherent system. Compare that to Mamelodi Sundowns, who routinely dismantle the bottom half by halftime. The Polokwane loss was not an anomaly; it was a pattern. Chiefs have dropped points to sides like Richards Bay and AmaZulu this season, teams that sit comfortably below them in the Betway Premiership table. The midfield remains a black hole of creativity, with Maart and George Matlou offering more sideways passes than incisive through balls. And defensively, Thatayaone Ditheke and Zitha Kwinika still look like