Smiles are few and far between at ailing Kaizer Chiefs these days and emotional Zimbabwe striker Michell Katsvairo says there are days when he is so frustrated that he's close to bursting into tears.

Chiefs host Bloemfontein Celtic at Soccer City on Wednesday and a lot will depend on whether embattled coach Steve Komphela’s struggling charges are able to overcome their inability to convert the many chances they create.

AmaKhosi have only managed 13 goals from 12 games and it is perhaps very awkward that the league’s top goal scorer‚ Orlando Pirates’ Tendai Ndoro‚ has scored almost the same number of league goals — 11 goals — as the entire Chiefs team.

Katsvairo said there are frustrating days when things do not go their way and he can feel the tears welling up in his eyes.

‘‘We are working very hard and sometimes I feel like crying when we are losing because we work so hard on the pitch‚” he said‚ almost close to tears.

‘‘And then we just lose games just like that. Sometimes‚ eish...... it is very difficult. It is very hard. Losing is a very bad feeling and it touches me.

‘‘But that doesn't mean we must stop working. We must keep on working and maybe this will pass.”

And following in the footsteps of the other Chief players who have closed ranks around the beleaguered Komphela this week‚ Katsvairo pleaded with the club's supporters to be patient and to stop abusing the coach when the team fails to win matches.

‘‘He (Komphela) is a good coach and he has done nothing wrong. This is a bad patch and it will pass — all we need is just luck‚” he said.

‘‘We are doing almost everything right‚ but I just don’t know ....... it is bad luck or something.

‘‘I just hope and pray that this bad patch will pass fast so that we can get there.” — TMG Digital