Has Zwane turned the Chiefs ship around?

After a shaky start to the season that kicked off with a loss to Royal AM, Arthur Zwane appears to have turned the ship in the right direction for Amakhosi.

Chiefs' 3-0 beating of Maritzburg United before a 4-0 hammering by Mamelodi Sundowns a week later signaled the fragilities and inconsistency of the squad.

However, several key changes made by Zwane and his technical team have brought about a patch of consistency to the squad's form.

The recruitment of Edmilson Dove and Caleb Bimenyimana is proving to be a master stroke for the 49-year-old.

Edmilson Dove and Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune during the DStv Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United at FNB Stadium in September.Lefty Shivambu

Dove delivered a Man of the Match performance against Swallows, while the Bimenyimana scored his third goal in just his fourth appearance for Amakhosi in the same game.

The return of Itumeleng Khune appears to have partly helped in closing the leaks at the back. Chiefs have not conceded more than one goal in a single match since the shot stopper returned between the goal posts against Stellenbosch in August.

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The return of defender Sifiso Hlanti from an eight-month long injury has also contributed to some form of stability the in the Chiefs defensive line, according to Zwane.

"I think he did very well as he gave us that balance as you know we were playing Reeve [Frosler] on the left though he is a right-footed player," Zwane said.

"You could see that at least we had more balance."

Keagan Dolly is another key figure who has stepped up when it mattered. Dolly came off the bench to rescue a draw for Chiefs against AmaZulu in the MTN8 semi-final clash.

The 29-year-old was back at it in the next game against Swallows, scoring a stunning free-kick to give Chiefs a two-goal lead just days later.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane speaks to Kgaogelo Sekgota during the DStv Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu FC at FNB Stadium in September.Gallo Images Lefty Shivambu

Zwane has also been aided but the emergence of winger Kgaogelo Sekgota. A 25-year-old who could not finish a match at the start of the season, has grown to be what Zwane called his 'star player' at a recent press conference.

For his efforts, Sekgota collected the Man of the Match award in Chiefs' MTN8 semi-final clash against AmaZulu last Sunday.

Zwane's men have lost just one of their last four matches. Only Mamelodi Sundowns, Richards Bay and SuperSport United boast a similar record.