Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika believes the team is on the right path following their preseason tour of the Netherlands.
After several seasons of underachievement—particularly in the league—Amakhosi will enter the new campaign under increased scrutiny. Last season’s Nedbank Cup triumph provided a much-needed silver lining, and expectations are now high for a stronger all-round showing.
Chiefs have been busy in the transfer market, adding multiple reinforcements to strengthen the squad. The Netherlands tour provided head coach Nasreddine Nabi and his technical team the chance to integrate the new arrivals and assess combinations ahead of the season.
Next on the calendar is the Toyota Cup clash against Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, which will serve as a key tune-up before competitive football resumes.
Kwinika, who joined the club in 2022 and recently signed a contract extension, is hopeful of increased involvement in the upcoming season, and he believes the preseason trip brought valuable lessons for the team.
“The Netherlands has been good to us, Kwinika said.
“We have learned a lot, and we are definitely going back home as better people and players.”
Chiefs faced strong opposition during the tour, including a fixture against former Dutch champions FC Twente. The experience exposed the squad to a higher level of play and a different tactical approach, which the central defender believes was crucial.
“The seconds they spend on the ball are minimal and quite effective. He continued
“The level is a bit high; they understand the moments very well. In whatever they do, they understand the right time to press, when and where to press, and how to keep the ball.
“They have a different way of playing football. In our South African style, we dribble people around, but here they dribble you with the pass.”
The 31-year-old continued to add that the squad steadily improved with each match on tour and ended on a high note, which will set them up nicely ahead of the new campaign.
“I think we did well because we gradually grew as a team from the first game to the last game, taking into account the rest and training sessions. I thought we did well, and the boys felt good, and confidence after here is high.”
The former Stellenbosch FC defender enjoyed a strong finish to last season after initially struggling for game time under Nabi. A string of injuries to other defenders opened the door for him, and he’ll be aiming to carry that form into the new campaign.
Ahead of their Toyota Cup outing, Kwinika says supporters can expect to see a new and improved Chiefs team next season.
“Supporters must expect a different team next season. We are growing as a group from where we left off last season. It will be a new season, and from the preseason we were just in now, we learned a lot.
“The Toyota Cup will be where we get to be tested with our African brothers, and even with that, we will be preparing ourselves for CAF competition.
