Ex-Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Frank Makua backs Amakhosi in PSL title race, urging them to ‘fight for CAF Champions League’ spot

With all eyes on the Premier Soccer League title, the competition is set to get even tougher as teams fight to climb to the top of the table.

Orlando Pirates, who currently lead the log and have already won two trophies this season, dropped points against Mamelodi Sundowns in their recent league clash and were knocked out of the Nedbank Cup on Saturday.

This could destabilise the side and give other teams confidence that the Buccaneers are beatable. The same applies to the Tshwane giants, who failed to score against TS Galaxy as the Mpumalanga side secured their ticket to the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.

For Kaizer Chiefs, however, the story is different. Having missed out on the Nedbank Cup and other opportunities this season, the league title remains their only realistic chance for silverware - a possibility that Frank Makua believes is entirely attainable.

"They do have a chance, the league is still wide open, they can challenge for it. I believe we've got a team, it's just the coaches sometimes with the line-up, it's not up to scratch," Makua told Soccer Laduma.

"Maybe the combination is not there for now, I don't know what's happening, but I think we've got a good team, we've got good players, compared to last season.

"This season I feel we have a squad that can compete, not to say we're putting pressure on them, to say, 'You guys go out and win the league', no, just go out there and play as a team and play constructive football," he added

"We do have those players that they can go out there and fight for the team."

The Naturena side has shown flashes of promise, but consistency continues to elude the Glamour Boys, as was evident in the CAF Confederation Cup. But still, Makua remains confident and hopeful that Amakhosi can make their mark on bigger stages.

"They didn't compete in CAF for quite a long time, and now at least they tried to come out of the group stages, it's fine," he explained.

"This season, they must fight to be in the CAF Champions League; that's where they deserve to play."

This week could prove crucial for Chiefs, as collecting maximum points in their midweek clash against Stellenbosch would set the tone for the Soweto derby, where they aim to close in on the log leaders Pirates.