Chiefs will have to live with the consequences of their inaction

SOWETO giants Kaizer Chiefs missed out on a golden opportunity to close the gap between them and their rivals in the January transfer window.

The lack of action, though, did not come as a surprise after coach Arthur Zwane had made it clear that he is dead set on building the team from scratch with younger hungry players.

But you have to wonder if Zwane will be afforded that opportunity by impatient Amakhosi fans. Undoubtedly, there is a shortage of material to work with in key positions, so Chiefs needed to consider bringing in quality players to reinforce their squad, which has been a significant factor in their recent struggles.

Chiefs have needed a quality defensive midfielder for years, and now have the difficult task of replacing the departed Njabulo Blom who had begun to make that position his own.

A section of the club’s fans might be impressed with the introduction of young Samkelo Zwane, however throwing that much responsibility might be detrimental to his development and the club’s progression.

Even though new man Christian Saile made a bright debut, the club are still missing a creative midfielder to provide an attacking spark and a reliable goalkeeper to improve their woeful defensive record.

Chiefs’ reported late pursuit of Cape Town City’s Mduduzi Mdantsane is a clear admission of noticing the need to not only take the pressure off Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, but to also help sure up their leaky defence.

The 2022-23 campaign has not only revealed that veteran club captain Itumeleng Khune is unable to hold the fort anymore, but also that his potential successors are not at the level normally associated with goalkeeping standards at Chiefs.

However, despite having the financial resources to do so, Chiefs failed to make any significant signings in the January transfer window.

This is a huge disappointment for the team and their fans, who are desperate to see their side make a push for the Premiership title in the coming seasons.

Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United have all added quality players to their squads in recent windows, while Chiefs have sat on their hands and watched their rivals get stronger.

This is a missed opportunity for the Chiefs and one that could come back to haunt them in their pursuit of a potential Caf competition spot.

Chiefs currently occupy fifth place on the league standings, a whopping 27 points behind Sundowns but four points away from Richards Bay who are second.

Chiefs must now put their trust in their current squad and hope that they can somehow bridge the gap with their rivals.

Only time will tell if Chiefs can make up for their lack of ambition in the transfer market, but for now they must live with the consequences of their inaction.