Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has urged his side to improve on their performance as they prepare for their ‘difficult’ and busy fixture schedule.

The Soweto giants extended their winless run in the DStv Premiership to seven games following their 2-0 defeat by the Team of Choice at the FNB Stadium.

The defeat drops Amakhosi down to 14th place with seven points, while Maritzburg move up to 12th place on the log with eight points after 10 matches.

‘If you look at the game there wasn’t much in it. Certainly, we did well in the first half but they got their goal really out of nothing and then obviously they got the second goal. We can’t be happy about our defence, that’s for sure,’ Hunt told the media.

‘We can’t use that as an excuse about travelling. It wasn’t easy but still, there is no excuse. We have to be better, we had four days [to prepare for Maritzburg]. What we couldn’t do was change the team, that was the big problem. But we can’t use excuses, players have to step up.

‘If you look at the game itself, the first goal was from a great ball into the box and I think we should have headed that ball clear. And the second goal was from a throw-in. We had three people around the ball so we have to take responsibility. You can talk all day to stop these things but we have to defend better.’

Chiefs advanced to the group stages of the Caf Champions league where they have been drawn in Group C alongside Petro Atletico, Horoya and Wydad Casablanca.

‘The draw in Caf is another thing altogether. We have to try and get our league form back and get better,’ he added.

‘We obviously are in a battle, we know we have to fight now. Our programme is very difficult with us battling, we have to play every two or three days, so the best thing for us is to get away from here as well. We have to be better because our record hasn’t been good.’

The Amakhosi mentor insists that he won’t rush Samir Nurkovic back before full fitness, having made two appearances since returning from injury.

‘He is nowhere near fit and we have to get him fit. As I said, we are playing every two or three days, so he has so much time to train,’ said Hunt.