Maart rues Amakhosi's fortune
'We get chances but unlucky not to score'
Image: Lefty Shivambu
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart has chalked up their slump in form to bad luck, conceding they can’t stop runaway leader Mamelodi Sundowns.
At some point this season, Chiefs looked like title pretenders but losing all their three games in the New Year saw them lose ground in the title challenge. The out of sorts Glamour Boys face Royal AM in their fourth league game of 2023 at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday (5.30pm). Amakhosi are 25 points adrift of rampaging Brazilians and the gap could be 28 by the time they play on Sunday.
“You can’t take away what they [Sundowns] have. They’ve been winning, and we’ve also been trying to but our luck hasn’t been there this term. But maybe it’s something that we need to work on as a team. If they run away with the league, then that’s that. There’s nothing we can do about it,” Maart said during yesterday’s media open-day at their training base in Naturena.
“The year didn’t start well for us. And from my own point of view, we are getting chances and everything, but we can’t score due to being unlucky.”
The former Sekhukhune United skipper, who joined Amakhosi in the off season, also opened up about losing out on the Puskas Awards nomination for his wonder strike that bagged Chiefs maximum points against bitter rivals Orlando Pirates in October last year.
“At the end of the day it’s the Almighty [who makes things for you to happen] and there are things you can’t control. You can’t be upset about things that are out of your hands. If it’s not there, it’s not there, life continues,” Maart noted.
Maart also revealed as experienced players they supported prodigy central midfielder Samkelo Zwane, who struggled to hold his own in recent weeks, to fill in the void left by Njabulo Blom. In December, Blom was sold to US Major League Soccer (MLS) side St Louis City.
“We are happy for Blom for where he is today. But, we must go on with the plan. Samkelo is there and we are helping him to adapt,” Maart said.
Meanwhile, Chiefs’ new striker Christian Saile Basomboli, by yesterday, had not received his work permit.