Despite putting on a display of unity to hide the turbulence they are experiencing, the undercurrent feeling at Kaizer Chiefs' training yesterday was that all was not as well as they made it out to be.
At about 9.43am, the players converged for training at Naturena. But the sting of their humiliating 3-0 hammering at the hands of Chippa United last weekend had clearly not worn off.
The players and coach Steve Komphela exchanged hugs before they huddled together for a short prayer.
The gloomy, overcast weather, with clouds on the verge of bursting into a thundershower, was a fitting backdrop to the state of affairs at Amakhosi.
A storm will erupt if they lose to Platinum Stars at the FNB Stadium on Sunday (3pm).
The team is virtually out of the Absa Premiership race, having mustered only 39 points from 26 games.
That's a near insurmountable 10-point deficit at leaders Mamelodi Sundowns with four games to go.
Veteran midfielder Willard Katsande summed it up well when describing their state of mind.
"It's hard to swallow [the loss to Chippa], and something that will go down in the history books that will be remembered as the worst performance in the Chiefs colours," Katsande said.
The Zimbabwean conceded that their jobs were indeed on the line after the management released a statement promising sweeping changes in the off-season.
"Whatever happens at the end of the season, we will take it as professionals.
"It would be painful for colleagues to lose their jobs because we are breadwinners," he added.
Wing-back Philani Zulu feels the team's five-hour emergency meeting following the implosion at home had a positive outcome.
"Our focus is on winning the remaining games.
"We should finish as high as we can.
"It was a much-needed meeting where we tried to pick ourselves up," said Zulu yesterday.
Chiefs' face of unity can't mask agony
Despite putting on a display of unity to hide the turbulence they are experiencing, the undercurrent feeling at Kaizer Chiefs' training yesterday was that all was not as well as they made it out to be.
At about 9.43am, the players converged for training at Naturena. But the sting of their humiliating 3-0 hammering at the hands of Chippa United last weekend had clearly not worn off.
The players and coach Steve Komphela exchanged hugs before they huddled together for a short prayer.
The gloomy, overcast weather, with clouds on the verge of bursting into a thundershower, was a fitting backdrop to the state of affairs at Amakhosi.
A storm will erupt if they lose to Platinum Stars at the FNB Stadium on Sunday (3pm).
The team is virtually out of the Absa Premiership race, having mustered only 39 points from 26 games.
That's a near insurmountable 10-point deficit at leaders Mamelodi Sundowns with four games to go.
Veteran midfielder Willard Katsande summed it up well when describing their state of mind.
"It's hard to swallow [the loss to Chippa], and something that will go down in the history books that will be remembered as the worst performance in the Chiefs colours," Katsande said.
The Zimbabwean conceded that their jobs were indeed on the line after the management released a statement promising sweeping changes in the off-season.
"Whatever happens at the end of the season, we will take it as professionals.
"It would be painful for colleagues to lose their jobs because we are breadwinners," he added.
Wing-back Philani Zulu feels the team's five-hour emergency meeting following the implosion at home had a positive outcome.
"Our focus is on winning the remaining games.
"We should finish as high as we can.
"It was a much-needed meeting where we tried to pick ourselves up," said Zulu yesterday.