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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Chiefs players under scrutiny</li><li>The younger stars feeling the wrath of poor performances</li><li>Shabalala speaks out on the situation</li></ul>&nbsp;<script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala opens up about the club's ongoing challenges, expressing empathy for emerging players - ‘Every one bad game, we are bad players’

Chiefs are poised to conclude the current season empty-handed, having failed to secure the Carling Knockout Cup, MTN8 and Nedbank Cup titles.Furthermore, in the <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-za/psl/table/yv73ms6v1995b5wny16jcfi3" target="_blank">Premier Soccer League</a>, they are battling to avert <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/points-dwindling-mediocre-performances-and-tensions-rising-is-this-the-motaungs-worst-kaizer-chiefs-team-ever/blta0c0d19dcaef677f" target="_blank">what could be their third-worst season</a> since the competition's inception in 1996, where they are currently positioned in 10th-place.Shabalala has acknowledged that the negativity and lacklustre performances surrounding the club are profoundly distressing, especially for its young players.

WHAT HAPPENED?

“As young players at Chiefs, I feel sorry for us because it is not easy; it’s tough,” Shabalala told the media.“Every one bad game, we are bad players.”Meanwhile, fellow young talent Mfundo Vilakazi recently inked a lengthy contract extension with Chiefs, ensuring his presence at the club until June 2028. Shabalala and Vilakazi share a deep bond, having clinched the Diski Shield trophy together for the Amakhosi youth team and fostering a connection through their shared experiences in Kasi (township) football tournaments.“I started playing with Mfundo at kasi [township]; we were playing in the Siphiwe Tshabalala Foundation Tournament; that’s where I saw Mfundo play; we met there and connected, and our relationship started there,” he added.“I always talk to him [Vilakazi] and tell him that ‘it may not be now, but one day, it [success at Chiefs] is going to happen, just keep on growing, keep on grinding because he is a good player’.“We know that we are good players; it is just that we are not fortunate enough, and things are not going our way, but one day, people will be talking a different story about us,” he concluded.

WHAT SHABALALA SAID?

Since their league victory nine years ago, Amakhosi have witnessed a succession of coaches, none managing to revive their former glory. The club's fans, who are accustomed to success, have become increasingly frustrated, with their dissatisfaction occasionally manifesting in <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-za/news/kaizer-chiefs-charged-again-for-spectator-misbehaviour-stadium-ban-impending/blt62177d71a2c73720" target="_blank">violence at stadiums</a>. Currently, interim coach Cavin Johnson is facing scrutiny as the team continues to decline under his guidance.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With just six league matches left for Chiefs, the significance of earning maximum points is paramount for their top eight ambitions.Their upcoming league fixture against SuperSport United on Saturday, April 27th, promises to be a challenging clash, as Matsatsantsa are also vying for a crucial victory.

WHAT NEXT FOR CHIEFS?

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala opens up about the club's ongoing challenges, expressing empathy for emerging players - ‘Every one bad game, we are bad players’ | Goal.com South Africa

The 20-year-old is keenly aware of Amakhosi&apos;s position with a trophy drought stretching nearly a decade.

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala opens up about the club&apos;s ongoing challenges, expressing empathy for emerging players - ‘Every one bad game, we are bad players’

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