Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt admits his side lack a cutting edge in front of goal after their scoring troubles persisted in a tight 1-0 win over PWD Bamenda in a Caf Champions League preliminary round first-leg tie this past Sunday.
The Glamour Boys battled hard for the narrow first-leg victory with the winner only coming through central defender Eric Mathoho in the 83rd minute, while Itumeleng Khune was called into action late on to make a crucial penalty save to ensure victory in west Africa, for what was only Chiefs’ third win in nine matches in all competitions this season.
The victory came in tough conditions on a poor pitch but the determined nature of the performance please Hunt, despite his strikers yet again drawing a blank.
Of the six goals scored in nine matches this campaign, three have come from Chiefs defenders – there’s been one own goal courtesy of Chippa United, and two from Leonardo Castro, the only forward to have netted.
The likes of Khama Billiat, Lebogang Manyama and Bernard Parker are yet to break their ducks despite having been fairly regular scorers in past seasons which concerns the Chiefs coach.
‘I think it’s important to try and score a few goals, and I think that’s something we are lacking, a cutting edge,’ he told the media after Sunday’s victory in Limbe.
‘You know we have a couple of good strikers, but they haven’t scored and that’s a problem.
‘The final pass wasn’t as good as it should be at the end of the movement. But the pitch had a lot to do with that, I thought the pitch was very difficult to play on.’
Despite the victory Hunt inisited that his team cannot show complacency in the second-leg encounter against the side from Cameroon.
‘Most importantly, we scored an away goal. But we can’t relax; its only half time,’ he said.
‘So we have still got another whole game to go – they’ve got a lot of fight in their team. A strong, physical team.
‘But hopefully we will have enough to try and make it a bit easier and safer when we play in Johannesburg.’