'It gets to our players' ears': worry for Chiefs coach Zwane before Soweto derbies against Swallows and Pirates

Arthur Zwane will use his playing experience to manage the anxiety and excitement of Kaizer Chiefs before the Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup semifinal on May 6.   

Zwane played for the Glamour Boys for more than a decade before joining their coaching structures which culminated in him being appointed head coach before the 2022-2023 campaign.

After Chiefs' 1-0 win in a DStv Premiership tie against relegation-threatened Chippa United, Zwane spoke of the need to keep his players focused on the next league game, a mini Soweto derby against Swallows on Monday before they turn their eyes on the big cup match against Pirates. 

“It's key that, as the technical team, we manage the players and, fortunately, some of us played in these games and we know how important it is for us to keep collecting points before the derby,” Zwane said after Ashley du Preez scored a stunning goal to help Amakhosi beat Chippa in Gqeberha on Thursday.

“Sometimes the derby [against Pirates] can make you forget what's important. What's key is to take one game at a time and focus on this one.

“As soon as we've played the game on Monday, we'll start focusing on the Pirates one. It's a bit difficult because people are already talking about the derby, especially after a great performance like this. People are already thinking Pirates, not Swallows.

“It gets to our players' ears and they start thinking about the derby. We have to manage it and we've [when he was a player] been in that situation and I think we have that advantage of helping these players manage the entire squad.”

Chiefs have to beat Swallows on Monday to remain in the race to finish second. Pirates and SuperSport United are the other teams with a chance to finish second and qualify for the Caf Champions League next season.

Swallows won 1-0 against Maritzburg United at the Dobsonville Stadium on Thursday, boosting their chances to beat the drop to the National First Division. A point against Chiefs at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Monday will almost guarantee Swallows' safety. 

“We're playing against a team that is also fighting for their lives,” said Zwane of Swallows.

“They're not going to give it to us on a silver platter. We'll have to give a good performance like today [Thursday] and if we approach the game with the same mindset I see no problem in us getting maximum points. But I'm not saying it's going to be an easy game, but even today we played a team that was always going to make it difficult for us. 

“We only have two days to prepare and it's a case of managing the players and make sure before the game on Monday everyone is fresh and ready to give his best.”

Playing Swallows with the Pirates game five days away could force Zwane to tinker with his starting XI, which is already without Keagan Dolly, who was injured on Sunday in the 1-0 loss to Sekhukhune United.

Young players such as striker Wandile Duba and Samkelo Zwane might fancy a run against Swallows after they started the Chippa match among the substitutes.

“We're always looking to give our youngsters an opportunity. Even today [Thursday] I wanted to throw him [Wandile Duba] in, but I couldn't when we're still consolidating, because we were leading 1-0.

“I wanted us to get a second goal, killing the game off, and then give the youngsters an opportunity to go out there and express themselves. We're also desperate for points and so there was no time to gamble and experiment.

“Whenever the opportunity arises, we'll give them a chance. We'll see how we're going to profile Swallows, though we got some information because we've been following them. But we want to see how they played today [Thursday] and what will be the approach.

“They [Swallows] will play with motivation as they're fighting for their lives, we have to plan thoroughly to make sure we're ready for the game.”

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