Chiefs fans deserve better

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It’s been over 56 hours since Kaizer Chiefs let the league title slip away. Yet, the club with the biggest supporter base in the country remain silent on their social-media accounts, not offering fans or media any comment, while also having missed post-match media engagements. Chiefs fans deserve better, writes DEAN WORKMAN.

If there’s one team in the country that plays a home game almost every game, it is Kaizer Chiefs.

Amakhosi have amassed a passionate following across South Africa and indeed the continent. In a sport and country which face constant struggles to attract fans to the stadium, the Chiefs supporters always turn up.

This die-hard following has been through a lot over the past few years as the club has endured its longest-ever trophy drought of five years.

There was the Steve Komphela reign which promised much but never delivered, followed by a disastrous spell under Giovanni Solinas.

Ernst Middendorp came in to steady the ship and almost ended the trophy drought when Chiefs qualified for 2018-19 Nedbank Cup final. However, there was more heartbreak as Chiefs became the first side to lose to a first-division side in a cup final as TS Galaxy snatched the crown with a 1-0 win.

However, Middendorp and Chiefs picked themselves up and started the 2019-20 season with renewed vigour and determination to fly to the top of the Absa Premiership standings.

Amakhosi then led the league almost throughout the campaign and, even with the Covid-19 interruptions, many fans and media saw the 2019-20 season ending in glory for the Soweto giants.

It wasn’t meant to be, though, as Sundowns managed to overturn the gap and edge Chiefs to the title on the final day.

This is football and heartbreak happens, quite regularly in fact. It may hurt but if you owe anything to anyone, it’s the people who have invested their time, money and passion in the team – the fans.

Chiefs have not tweeted once since posting the final score of the game against Baroka.

The Soweto giants also failed to provide the media with any post-match engagements, which are mandatory as per the NSL handbook.

A Chiefs media officer, in his personal capacity, suggested that Chiefs as the away team were not responsible for the post-match media engagements, but in the post-Covid world those normal regulations have become less applicable due to the nature of Zoom media conferences or content sent via the PSL media channels.

Regardless of who was responsible for organising the post-match reactions, Chiefs owe their supporters after throwing away such a massive lead at the top of the table.

A ‘We’re sorry’, ‘We are also hurting’, ‘We will get them next season’. Something, anything really, just to let the fans feel part of the club even if it’s during this painful time.

Chiefs could face sanctions from the league for not attending post-match engagements as it has been reported to the PSL and a statement is awaited.

At the end of the day, Chiefs fans deserve better from the club they love …

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Dean Workman