Masilela's blunt advice for Kaizer Chiefs: Target top 3, Orlando Pirates & Mamelodi Sundowns are out of reach, even Pitso Mosimane cannot save them

Not immediately! Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tsepo Masilela has explained why the Glamour Boys will need patience if they are to compete with Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.

According to Masilela, even if the experienced Pitso Mosimane is appointed as head coach for Amakhosi, the Soweto giants cannot immediately reach the levels enjoyed by their rivals.

“But we will need to be patient. We can’t expect coach Pitso to come in and immediately close the gap between us, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Orlando Pirates. These two teams are the high flyers," Masilela told Soccer Beat.

"We might need to first target positions three and two. Then the progress will continue. Maybe coach Pitso will do it."

Masilela also explained why he thinks his former club are not in a hurry to sign more players. He says the club are cautious because they plan to appoint a new head coach when the current season ends.

Amakhosi are under both Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who were elevated following the departure of Nasreddine Nabi. The current tacticians were Nabi's assistants but remained at the club and were given the mantle until the end of the season.

“I have a strong feeling Kaizer Chiefs will get a new coach for next season. So do they want to make that mistake now of bringing in new players, giving them three-year contracts, and then come pre-season, the new coach says, ‘I don’t want this guy; I don’t want that guy,’" Masilela stated.

“So if we sign players in January, we might end up stuck with a dilemma on our table. We will not know what to do. Are we going to release guys and pay them out?

“Everything becomes an expense at that time. I have been thinking from that angle. I am thinking that they have eyed someone. They have someone in mind to take over next season.

“We don’t want to spend now because the coach will want his own players. So project 2026. I believe they need a strong coach. A manager. We are all talking about coach Pitso [Mosimane]. I have worked with him [at Bafana Bafana]; I know how he manages."

Although Masilela feels Chiefs are not signing as they anticipate a new coach, Kaze recently said they are satisfied with the players they have.

“I’m very happy with the squad that we have. We signed practically 12 players at the beginning of the season," Kaze told the media on Monday.

"And as I said, the struggles that we had in pre-season didn’t put the new players into very good conditions to play or to understand how we want to play. Now we have had time to rectify that.

“And we’re pretty sure that we’re going to see more quality from everyone, especially from the new players. And, as well, you know, January is a tricky period. You need to be careful how you sign players, and I’m not saying as well that we’re not signing any player," he added.

“We are looking; if there is an opportunity that we can get, we’ll go get it. The period is ending at the end of the month. But also, the players that we have now, we know that they will compete very well.” 

Chiefs have only signed Xhosa Manyana from Cape Town City, but the new player is not a first-team signing but has been brought in to strengthen the DDC team.