Ashley Du Preez speaks candidly about Kaizer Chiefs’ goal-scoring woes, as Amakhosi ‘compete for the league and CAF’

Kaizer Chiefs’ goal-scoring has been a topic of discussion, having failed to net more than once in each of their last eight matches. As one of the club’s key forwards, Ashley Du Preez finds himself under growing pressure to deliver. 

Now in his fourth season at Naturena, he’s yet to find consistent form in front of goal. However, the striker remains optimistic, backing the team’s collective effort to overcome their scoring struggles and turn the tide.  

"For me, we have good players up front, and for me is, we, as a team, are working on scoring goals in games," Du Preez told reporters.

"But I think for me, is just that we need to keep on working on training. I know we lack on scoring goals, and I think we have good players in front who can definitely score a lot of goals. And it is just a process that we need to work on each day in training and take it to matches. But we as a team are definitely working on scoring goals.

"Looking at my game even in the past seasons, I have been creating chances, and for me, it is just that composure in me when I’m in the final third. Like I said, collectively, we are working on it. As an individual, that is where I lack in my game, and to be honest, I need to work very hard on converting my chances I create," he continued. 

"Definitely, I think we started off well, and I think if we can maintain this good run we have, we can surely compete for the league and for CAF. At a club like Chiefs, you want to win cups, and for me, and as a collective, as a team, we have to be consistent in what we are doing.

"For me, it is going into the league, cup games with the mentality that we want to win this trophy. We can definitely make it happen if we put our minds to it, wanting to win games," he concluded. 

While Du Preez remains a key figure in Chiefs’ attacking setup, he’s not alone in the quest for goals. The club added depth with the likes of Khanyisa Mayo, Etiosa Ighodaro, Flavio Silva and promising youngster Luke Baartman, who arrived ahead of the 2025/26 season.  

Silva has already made his mark, scoring twice in Premier Soccer League action, offering early signs of promise.

While work continues behind the scenes, Chiefs remain focused on making a meaningful impact both at home and beyond. In the Premier Soccer League, consistency will be key as they aim to climb the table. Their next test comes on Wednesday, 1 October, when they face AmaZulu in a crucial league clash.  

On the continental front, their dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout win over Kabuscorp of Angola has secured a spot in the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup, setting the stage for tougher tests and bigger ambitions ahead.