Kaizer Chiefs 2025-26 Mid-Season Review - Fast Start, Recent Dip

John Eastwood

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Last updated: 2 hours ago

John Eastwood 2 hours ago

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Kaizer Chiefs sit fourth in the DSTV Premiership ahead of the AFCON break
Amakhosi have six wins, six draws and one defeats in 13 matches
Chiefs’ 13 league matches have seen just 13 goals scored

Chiefs have exceeded expectations this season, but there is still much room for improvement (Getty Images).

League Season Summary so Far

Chiefs have played 13 league matches so far this term. They sit fourth in the table with a four-point gap to log leaders, Orlando Pirates, having played a game more.
League Season Summary so Far
Cup Summary
Are Chiefs Meeting Expectations?
Player of the Season
Performance of the Season
Best New Signing
Main Areas of Improvement
Upcoming Kaizer Chiefs Transfer Activity
Overall Season Summary – Kaizer Chiefs

With just six goals leaked, Chiefs have the second-best defensive record in the PSL. However, 13 goals scored is a paltry return.

Amakhosi are unbeaten in five away matches with three wins and two draws. However, eight of 13 fixtures have taken place at home and they’ve drawn four of those matches.

Cup Summary

Amakhosi failed to qualify for the MTN8 as they finished ninth in the table last season.

They exited the Carling Knockout Cup at the first hurdle, losing on penalties to Stellenbosch FC after a 0-0 draw.

Having won last season’s Nedbank Cup, a first piece of silverware in a decade, they qualified for this season’s CAF Confederations Cup as a result. After negotiating the preliminary rounds, they sit with just one point from the Group Stage matches so far.

Are Chiefs Meeting Expectations?

Before the season, no one expected Chiefs to be an outside bet for a title challenge. Considering their defensive woes last season, with just seven league clean sheets, their newfound defensive solidity is a surprise.

They fired coach Nasreddine Nabi after a falling out behind the scenes. The club appointed co-coaches to lead the team, but results have been iffy in league matches under their guidance (seven matches, two wins, 11 points).

Overall, Chiefs are exceeding preseason expectations by a long way. However, the needle has moved and supporters now expect a title challenge.

Player of the Season

Amakhosi have a huge squad and over 30 players have featured this term. The best performers have almost exclusively been in the defensive areas.

Goalkeeper Brandon Petersen has excelled this term, as he has finally established himself in the Chiefs goal. Defenders Thabiso Monyane, Zitha Kwinika and Bradley Cross have performed well.

The best performer overall is arguably defensive midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa. He has broken up play, covered teammates, and made good ball carries from deep.

Performance of the Season

Chiefs won four of their first five matches. However, most of their best performances all saw them play out draws.

Against AmaZulu, they outshot their opponents 23-3 and put up 2.02 xG in a 1-1 stalemate. A 4-1 home win over Orbit College saw six ‘big chances’ created and an xG of 3.28.

Before the mid-season hiatus, they drew 0-0 at TS Galaxy with a 26-2 shot count and a goal incorrectly denied for offside.

Best New Signing

Chiefs signed a dozen new players in the last transfer window. Two are yet to even make their debuts, and another played just once from the bench.

Right back Thabiso Monyane has excelled. We’ve seen good displays from left back Paseka Mako at times, and Lebohang Maboe has impressed in limited minutes.

Striker Flavio Silva has scored four league goals in just 290 minutes on the pitch. Those four have been the pick of the bunch.

Main Areas of Improvement

Without doubt, Chiefs need to be more clinical in front of goal. They’ve having a league-high 5.50 shots on target per match, but have scored just 13 goals from 20.4 Expected Goals, again a league-high.

The club also has to find a trusted XI. With so much rotation, there are real question marks in the engine room and in the number nine position.

Upcoming Kaizer Chiefs Transfer Activity

The January window could see one or two signings, but it is not expected to be a busy period.

In fact, Chiefs could look to offload two or three players who need minutes. Ethan Chislett and Nkanyiso Shinga are two new signings who are yet to play a single minutes across 20 matches in all competitions.

Overall Season Summary – Kaizer Chiefs

This season was very promising for Chiefs. If they can become more clinical with their chances, and turn some league draws into wins, a shock title tilt could happen.

There is also the potential for the recent lack of league victories to continue, and that would cast doubt over co-coaches, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef.