Kaizer Chiefs solid at the back, sharpened in attack but midfield remains the question mark

Kaizer Chiefs may be unbeaten in the Betway Premiership this season, but their ambitions are firmly set on finishing in the top three and securing a CAF spot rather than mounting a title challenge. 

With a defence that has yet to concede and an attack now bolstered by quality reinforcements, the only lingering concern is in midfield.

For years, Amakhosi’s shortcomings have been exposed in the engine room. Inconsistency, a lack of creativity, and the inability to control matches against stronger opponents have been recurring problems. 

Even during last season’s Nedbank Cup triumph, there were moments when the midfield struggled to impose itself for long stretches.

If the team is to make the jump from cup winners to top-three finishers in the league, they need a midfield that can carry them through the grind of 30 matches.

Much has been made of Chiefs’ activity in the transfer market, with Khanyisa Mayo’s arrival grabbing the headlines recently. But it is what happens behind the front line that will determine whether the new-look attack flourishes. 

Without a midfield capable of supplying quality service and dictating the pace of play, Mayo and company will find themselves isolated.

Chiefs’ defensive record is already encouraging – yet to concede a goal this season – and that stability cannot mask the importance of midfield balance. 

Players such as Thabo Cele, tasked with anchoring the side, and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, a link between midfield and attack, must consistently deliver if Chiefs are to break into the top three. 

It’s about more than flair; it’s about discipline, organisation, and the ability to seize control of matches.

The Soweto giants will not catch Mamelodi Sundowns in a title race – the gap in depth and experience is still too wide. Orlando Pirates, too, carry greater attacking firepower across the squad. 

That leaves Chiefs fighting realistically with sides like Stellenbosch and Sekhukhune United for that all-important third spot. In such battles, the midfield often decides who emerges on top.

Amakhosi’s supporters are desperate for progress, and while patience has not always been a feature of the club’s culture, finishing in the top three would be a significant step forward under Nabi. 

But that step will only be possible if the midfield stops being an Achilles heel. Too often in recent seasons, Chiefs have been overrun in central areas, unable to impose themselves in tight games where fine margins decide the outcome.

The lesson from Sundowns’ dominance is clear: consistency is built on control of the midfield. Chiefs are not yet at that level, but for their CAF ambitions, this department has to evolve from being a weakness into a strength.

If Amakhosi finish in the top three this season, it will not be because of individual brilliance alone.

It will be because their midfield finally gave them a platform strong enough to compete. That is the real test for Nabi’s rebuild – and it starts in the heart of the pitch.