It’s well-known that Amakhosi have endured a barren three-year run, and missed a chance to end the long wait for silverware early this season after being dumped out in the semi-finals of the MTN8 to eventual runners-up SuperSport United.
Despite an inconsistent league campaign so far, the Glamour Boys sit third on the table – albeit with more games played than many of their rivals – and are still in the Telkom Knockout Cup, having beaten Black Leopards on penalties to advance to the quarter-finals.
‘Stiga’, now a television analyst, admits he has at times felt frustrated in watching his former club in action, but says based on their style of play, Chiefs are looking “much better” than in 2017/18.
“It becomes difficult when you have such affinity towards a team, and you understand the levels and demands it takes to be at that team, so there’s a level of frustration,” he tells snl24.com/kickoff. “As a person that has a voice on TV to speak, I sometimes need to hold back.
“To be honest with you, I think they’re looking much better, and look like a Kaizer Chefs team that is going out there to win rather than going out not to lose. There’s a big difference.”
Ahead of this weekend’s Soweto Derby, Fredericks – who also had a short stint with Orlando Pirates – feels Chiefs look a lot more positive, and says coach Giovanni Solinas is on the right track with the Soweto giants.
“You’re looking at a Chiefs team now that is looking to go out there and win things, and that is a move in the right direction,” he says. “The coach came in just two weeks before the beginning of the season, so to expect him to turn things around immediately is a bit unrealistic, but from what I’m seeing already, I think they’re on the right path.”
Saturday’s Soweto Derby at FNB Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 15h30.