Kaizer Chiefs’ recent 1-0 victory over Polokwane City marked their second consecutive win in the DStv Premiership, with Pule Mmodi securing the winning goal.
However, despite the triumph, the spotlight turned towards striker Ranga Chivaviro, who has been grappling to find his scoring touch since joining AmaKhosi this season.
Chivaviro, formerly of Marumo Gallants FC, was once a highly sought-after striker in Africa, but his current goal tally for Chiefs stands at just one this season, leaving him visibly frustrated after being substituted in the second half of the recent match.
In a post-match press conference, Kaizer Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson addressed Chivaviro’s struggles, acknowledging the striker’s frustration. Johnson remarked, “I have to go back, make sure his head is clean. You know what it’s like, strikers are like goalkeepers; they are mad. Sometimes they are mad, they want to score goals. That’s what fuels their body when they score goals.”
Reflecting on a missed opportunity in the match, Johnson analysed Chivaviro’s decision-making, stating, “He had a nice chance. He made it himself. He put it on his left foot. I thought if he was just a little bit calmer, the right side of the goal was open, but he tried to take a snap shot. He just pushed it in; it would have been a goal, but not to be today.”
Johnson emphasized the transition Chivaviro faces, moving from Marumo Gallants to the high-pressure environment of playing for Kaizer Chiefs. “He does come from an area where he scored, I think, 12 or 13 goals in the league (Chivaviro scored 10 league goals last season). So all that stuff, as far as a striker is concerned, normally plays on your mind. But the big thing he has to realize is that he is not playing for Marumo Gallants anymore or for AJ United. He is playing for Kaizer Chiefs. That comes with so much pressure.”
The coach highlighted the elevated expectations and challenges that come with representing a club of Chiefs’ stature. “Besides being a good player, besides being a good person because every game you play, whichever center back you play against, is not going to play at 50%, he is going to play at 150%. So you have to up your game to 200%. That is the difference.”
With the recent win propelling Chiefs to sixth place in the DStv Premiership, the focus now shifts to their upcoming clash against Richards Bay FC on 23 December at FNB Stadium. Chivaviro’s journey to rediscover his goal-scoring form remains a narrative to watch as the Soweto giants aim to climb further up the league table.