Sibongiseni "Ox" Mthethwa, the midfielder of Kaizer Chiefs, admits to feeling pressure from his new team since joining at the start of the season.
At present, the team is getting ready to resume participation in the second phase of the DStv Premiership season.
At the conclusion of September, Mthethwa (age 29) from Mvundlwani in Mtshezi made his entrance to Chiefs after departing from Stellenbosch FC. Fans were hopeful that he would serve as a replacement for Willard Katsande - who had been an integral part of their midfield over recent years - and thus celebrated him by lifting him up high.
Despite playing 10 games in all competitions for Chiefs this season, Mthethwa has yet to reach the exceptional form he displayed at Stellies where he fearlessly dove into tackles even in a serene environment.
The player's recent performance has led some of Makhosi's fans to question whether he is truly capable of shouldering the responsibility for a team that is facing immense pressure to end its trophy drought.
Just like all other teams in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), The Kings are currently on a break because of ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) matches taking place in Ivory Coast. They will soon resume their activities with an important game against TS Galaxy, scheduled for February 13th at Peter Mokaba Stadium located in Polokwane.
Mthethwa explained that the Afcon break provided him with invaluable insight into how things are done at Chiefs. He compared it to a pre-season training camp as it enabled him to get acquainted with his teammates, which he was unable to do before the start of the season. Thanks in part to this extended period off, Mthethwa has now developed stronger relationships within the team, and credits much of their success thus far on this improved camaraderie.
Although he acknowledges the weight of playing for Chiefs, he sees it as a challenge that won't impede his aspirations despite being on a so-called smaller team. He understands his responsibility to energize fans in Soweto and is determined to deliver.
Although there is a certain level of pressure due to the team's size and dedicated fan base, I don't believe it hindered my ability to play at my best.
Mthethwa, a member of the Bafana Bafana team currently in training for Afcon in Ivory Coast, stated that pressure is ubiquitous and unavoidable. It affects all teams equally since there are always expectations placed upon them.
Under the leadership of current coach Cavin Johnson, Amakhosi holds sixth place on the Premiership log. With a three-game winning streak at the start of Afcon's break, they played to a 1-1 draw against Sekhukhune in their last game on December 30th.
Our resolution is to carry on from where we left off last year, having emerged as victors. Going forward, our primary objective upon resuming play is to strive for a position amongst the top three teams in the standings.
According to Mthethwa, the break provided us with an opportunity to rectify errors and prepare. Hence, it is imperative that we pick up from where we stopped at year-end.
Comentarios