Three games, three wins, zero concessions, that is the heartbeat behind Chiefs in Betway Premiership right now, and it is pulsing through the vast bowl of FNB Stadium. On a cool Johannesburg night, Gaston Sirino’s curling finish provided the latest spark as Kaizer Chiefs edged Richards Bay 1-0, a result that keeps momentum building and the mood rising among Amakhosi faithful.
Results like this come to define seasons, not for their spectacle but for their stubbornness. Chiefs were patient, then precise, and they got the job done against a Richards Bay side that defended deep and offered very little going the other way. The table says second, the scoreboard across three league outings says perfect, and the clean sheets say structure and steel.
Sirino’s moment and a disciplined performance
After an industrious first half, the match tilted in minute 58 when Wandile Duba drove down the right and cut the ball back to Sirino, who swept a lovely effort into the top corner. It was the Uruguayan’s first of the season, a thunderclap that rewarded control and raised the volume in Soweto as the Glamour Boys protected what they had. Richards Bay could not break free, they produced only two shots and had 31 percent possession, an afternoon of frustration that reinforced their rough start.
Chiefs had probed before the breakthrough, with Glody Lilepo testing Salim Magoola from range and combining neatly around the box. There were near misses too, as Duba headed tamely into the ground from a good position, and late on, substitute Mfundo Vilakazi drew a smart stop. The little margins mattered, yet the bigger story was one of maturity, the type of control that complements a back line that has not yielded a goal yet.
The match had its dramas, including Aden McCarthy coming off after a knock and Zitha Kwinika stepping in with typical calm. From fullback, Thabiso Monyane pushed aggressively, a constant outlet that asked questions of a stretched defense. For the Natal Rich Boyz, the counter was the only refuge, but it never became a storm, and Amakhosi saw it out.
The power of home and the voice of the crowd
One of the evening’s subplots was the continuing conversation about home advantage at the cavernous FNB Stadium. Midfielder Thabo Cele voiced the sentiment that has been playing out on the pitch, that winning in Johannesburg can turn the arena into a platform for energy and intimidation. He wants the seats to fill, the noise to swell, and the visitors to feel it from the first whistle.
“It is important for a team like us to win at home. We need to improve numbers at the stadium because the FNB Stadium is huge. With good performances and good results we can create a crazy atmosphere. We want teams to feel that in our home games.”
That atmosphere sharpens when the surface is true, and there, too, Chiefs feel a corner has been turned. The club welcomed a new pitch, and Cele explained how it has settled, with a smoother passing lane underfoot. He noted the texture, a sand and synthetic blend that has flattened out the imperfections and encouraged quicker circulation, a detail that matters to a side trying to play with control.
A lesson in standards and a call for the killer touch
Assistant coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze remain the visible hands on the touchline as Nasreddine Nabi tends to family matters in Tunisia, and they have overseen a start that has recalibrated belief. Ben Youssef lauded Sirino’s attitude and the squad’s work rate, yet he also challenged the group to turn dominance into comfort earlier, a note of ambition that resonates after another one-goal margin.
“In the second half we were happy with the first 15 minutes but when you score you first have to think of killing the game. The players were enjoying the moment with the fans and I understand this, but we discussed in the changing room on taking it more seriously to finish the game.”
There is hope, and expectation, that Nabi will be back this week to steer preparations for Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB. That promise of continuity, after three wins with the assistants at the helm, underlines the shared standards that have quickly taken root. The message is consistent, enjoy the stride, then push for more.
Composure after the fast start and a reminder from last season
Chiefs opened the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Polokwane City, Siphesihle Ndlovu scoring late to add to the early momentum, and now they have backed it up with another 1-0 at home. Thabo Cele has already framed the mindset, complacency is the enemy, and he has stressed that focus must stretch across the calendar, not just the first month. It is a cautionary note given last season also began with two wins before a slide to ninth place.
That memory is not a burden, it is a compass. The difference now is seen in the control of games, the defensive cohesion, and a more assertive identity that does not chase chaos. Keep the ball, move the opponent, trust the habits, that is the spine of the early form and it has held firm through three outings.
Bradley Cross shows growth and welcomes the push
On the left side, Bradley Cross offered a candid snapshot of what competition can do for performance. The arrival of Paseka Mako and Nkanyiso Shinga has put the spotlight on that position, and Cross has embraced it, a sign of the accountability that Chiefs have leaned into. There is a line between confidence and arrogance, and the defender says the squad is learning to stay on the right side of it.
“For me, having competition is good. You improve and you do not get complacent. So having guys in the same position helps me and is good for squad depth.”
Cross did not hide from the criticism that arrived during a stop-start 2024, he took it, filed it, and kept working. He acknowledges that the team got a bit excited after last season’s fast start, a lesson folded into this year’s measured approach. The tone is steady now, the attention is locked on the next ninety minutes and nothing beyond.
Recruitment, registrations and a deeper bench
There was another layer of optimism as three faces were introduced to the home crowd during the interval, Etiosa Ighodaro, Luke Baartman and Asanele Velebayi took a bow at FNB and the welcome was loud. The promise of fresh attacking options has real substance, especially with Ighodaro officially unveiled, the Nigerian forward will wear number 50 and brings a CV shaped by loan spells at University of Pretoria, Chippa United, SuperSport United and AmaZulu after signing for Sundowns in 2021.
Chiefs’ sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr spoke warmly about Ighodaro’s work rate and the shared ambition ahead, and the deal itself arrived after untying a few knots. The announcement had been delayed, with Sundowns initially resistant and hoping for a new contract on their side, but the move is now complete and Amakhosi believe they have added needed depth in the front line.
There is also movement around the next generation. A Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee ruling has declared Baartman a free agent, following a similar decision involving Velebayi, a path that cleared their routes toward Naturena. Cape Town Spurs are contesting those outcomes at SAFA arbitration, a reminder that the legal threads can tug at the footballing fabric while clubs plan their squads.
Paperwork remains a watch item in other areas. Ethan Chislett, Flavio Da Silva and Nkanyiso Shinga were awaiting their International Transfer Clearance, and without that document they cannot be registered for official action. The technical team has juggled these realities with calm, and the fact that results are flowing anyway suggests a spine that can carry even more once all registrations are settled.
Transfer radar and a familiar name
The recruitment picture could broaden further, with Chiefs and Siwelele FC monitoring Neo Maema’s situation during the African Nations Championship. The former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, now 29, captained Bafana Bafana at the tournament and reminded watchers of his quality by scoring in a 2-1 win over Guinea in Uganda. His pedigree is clear, he collected four Betway Premiership titles and three domestic cups during a four year stint at Chloorkop, making over 120 appearances in all competitions.
Interest is not new, enquiries were made in January, but with Maema leaving Sundowns at season’s end, clarity is expected after the CHAN campaign. For Chiefs, it is another sign of a recruitment strategy built around technical security, experience, and the personality to handle pressure in a golden shirt. For Maema, it is about fit and opportunity, and that decision clock will tick louder once the national duty closes.
Richards Bay’s struggle and what comes next
For the visitors, the pattern is troubling. Four defeats to start 2025 and a solitary goal, including a heavy MTN8 loss to Sundowns, speak to a team searching for answers. Bottom of the log and battling to keep the ball, they will need a reset back at Richards Bay Stadium when they host Chippa United on Tuesday.
Chiefs, meanwhile, have a week to breathe and sharpen before Sundowns arrive at FNB next Wednesday. It is the kind of early season test that reveals more than the table can, a chance to measure systems and resilience against the country’s standard setters. The winning run is intact, the clean sheet streak is alive, and the confidence looks like it comes from process, not luck.
The human pulse behind the numbers
Strip away the scoreline and you find the individuals stitching this run together. Cele talking about the chemistry between the grass and the pass, Cross leaning into competition, Sirino transforming intent into euphoria with a strike that bent the night in Chiefs’ favor. Those threads are being woven by a staff that has handled absence with unity, and by a crowd rediscovering its voice in a stadium that can rumble when the team gives it a reason.
There is work to do, the coaches know it, the players repeat it, and the fans understand it. Yet there is also a feeling that Amakhosi are building something that travels, a discipline that can withstand pressure and a fluency that can open stubborn doors. Keep winning at home, keep the pitch quick, get the registrations over the line, and let the rhythm build for the long stretch ahead.
For now, it is three from three and a perfect start, a small sample that still speaks loudly. The test against Sundowns will ask harder questions and the response will say even more, but in this moment the message is simple, Chiefs look ready to turn early promise into sustained belief at FNB Stadium, one relentless performance at a time.
