Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika takes positives from CAF Confederation Cup as focus shifts to PSL

Kaizer Chiefs opened their CAF Confederation Cup campaign with promise, showing the hunger of a team determined to rediscover its competitive edge. But after being drawn into what many considered a dangerous group [group D], the fears of the Amakhosi faithful have become a reality, with the side managing just one point from their first two fixtures.

Despite the slow start, the Glamour Boys remain hopeful of turning things around. They understand that this is a journey, and with time still on their side, they believe they can find their rhythm and adjust to the new demands.

Meanwhile, Zitha Kwinika, who has made 13 appearances for Amakhosi across all competitions and scored against AS Simba in the qualifying rounds, expressed satisfaction with his individual performances so far. However, he emphasized that the ultimate goal remains collective success, with the team striving for positive results together.

Kwinika has been notably one of the improved players in the Naturena camp since his arrival at the club. While he has previously acknowledged playing a key role behind the scenes, his performances on the pitch have delivered results, consistently proving his abilities whenever he represents Amakhosi. It’s no surprise he is pleased with his current form, especially given the opportunity to compete at a continental level.

“At this point, I think I am doing well, and I am happy about that. Getting minutes and maybe performing at the highest level,” said Kwinika as per FarPost.

“But I think what is important also is that it’s about the team. When we get results, I think it makes everything nice in terms of you getting the confidence you need.”

However, the Chiefs centre-back admitted that, despite taking away some valuable lessons from this campaign, there is still a lot of work to be done with four games remaining. For now, their focus will be fully on the tasks ahead in the Premier Soccer League, as they are set to honour a domestic midweek clash against Chippa United, a side that has proven to be a challenging opponent on their home turf at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“It’s still in the process because there are still more games to play. I think we have learned from the past two games we have played, and we are getting better,” Kwinika added.

“We probably need to readjust and go back to the league again because the focus for now was still CAF. Now we are going to play Chippa in PE [Gqerberha], and it’s always a difficult game to be honest because it’s always tough playing against Chippa.

The Naturena-based team will be looking to collect as many points as possible as they aim to climb the league table, while the Chilli Boys are expected to provide a stern challenge. Historically, Chiefs have managed 13 wins against Chippa, who have eight victories and four draws in their past encounters.

Chiefs' goal poachers will have the opportunity to continue their scoring form after enjoying dominance in their last league outing, while goalkeeper Brandon Petersen will aim to maintain his clean sheet as he remains in contention for the Goalkeeper of the Season award.

Amakhosi will close out the first half of the 2025/26 campaign with a trip to face TS Galaxy, who are no easy opponents, in the previous meeting both teams always settled for a single point and one win each.