Kaizer Chiefs won for the third time in four games when Pule Mmodi’s fine strike from the edge of the box secured a 1-0 victory over ailing Polokwane City almost two weeks ago, but ahead of the visit of Richards Bay on Saturday, their forwards remain a worry.
The victory was cause for celebration for interim coach Cavin Johnson and another clean sheet, their sixth this season, but while things are looking up on the results front, to truly progress the side needs to get more out of their strikers.
The side has managed 14 goals in their 14 DStv Premiership matches this season. If you stretch it back to the start of the 2022/23 campaign, they have managed 46 goals in 44 league games. That is a shade over one per match (1.05).
It is a desperately poor return from a team who should be targeting trophies given their history and stature in the local game, but how does it stack up to their peers?
Sundowns is perhaps an unfair comparison, but for the record they have scored 75 league goals in 41 games (1.83 per match) over the same period.
Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates have 56 in 44 matches (1.27), while Stellenbosch FC (1.25), SuperSport United (1.18), Cape Town City (1.14) and are also better off. The likes of Lamontville Golden Arrows (1.08) and strugglers Royal AM (1.07) have either edged or matched them.
It puts Chiefs very much in ‘mid-table’ when it comes to scoring and you could say that has been reflected in their league position for much of this season, though they have now climbed to sixth.
Out of Chiefs’ 46 league goals since August 2022, only 15 have come from strikers – the since departed Caleb Bimenyimana (seven), Ashley du Preez (seven) and Ranga Chivaviro (one).
That is a low contribution of 33%, a figure made worse when you consider five of those were from the penalty spot.
So in close on 18 months, Chiefs’ forwards have collectively scored 10 times from open play in the DStv Premiership. That is certainly not a healthy situation to be in.
To be fair to the club, it is a known issue and one they have tried to solve, but who can we say was the last forward they brought in to really make a big impact?
Samir Nurkovic did very well in his first season in 2019/20 and then faded badly. Before that was it the return of Knowledge Musona for his second spell in 2013/14? Even then he managed eight goals in 16 starts in the season.
Bernard Parker got double-figures in the two seasons between 2012-2014. But the list is short and there has been very little to enthuse over in the last decade.
There is no doubt that Chiefs have structure and some creativity in midfield and wide areas, but until they can get a 15-20 goal-a-season striker on board, their chances of success in any competition are limited.
