Defending is a team effort – Kwinika

Since Kaizer Chiefs appear to have shaken off their early season defensive blunders, centre-back Zitha Kwinika has applauded his teammates for understanding defensive duties must not only be carried out by traditional defenders.

Facing Sekhukhune United on their 53rd birthday at FNB Stadium tomorrow night, Chiefs will be looking to keep their third successive clean sheet. Amakhosi were leaking goals for fun at the start of the season with the majority of those goals brought forth by glaring schoolboy howlers by almost all their centre-backs.

Now there looks to be stability at the back. Kwinika, who has had his fair share of blunders, has reiterated that defending isn’t only about them as the defenders, praising his colleagues for now understanding this, hence there have been improvements. Amakhosi have leaked a disappointing 15 goals from 14 league games so far.

“I think I once said this, defending is not only about the defence or me and Dove [Edmilson, his central defensive partner] but it’s about the whole team... the whole group. Now it’s the team effort [that has stabilised their defence],” Kwinika said at Naturena yesterday.

“We’re now defending from the top to the back. Sometimes conceding is not about people [opponents] going past us, there are set-plays [where goals can be conceded], so everyone needs to play a role and I think now the whole team understands the role one needs to play. Obviously as defenders defending is our job and we try by all means to do it properly.”

Kwinika also opened up about the return of veteran goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune to the starting XI, having recovered from a knee strain that he sustained last October. Khune produced some good saves when they beat Arrows 2-0 in their last outing on New Year’s eve in Durban.

“Everyone within the team has a role to play. For Itu to make those saves [against Arrows], it’s part of his job as tackling is part of my job, but having him behind us [as defenders] is very important... even opponents when they play against us they know it’s Itu Khune that brings the confidence for the team because he’s our leader as well, leading by example.”