The media corps spent most of their interview session with Yusuf Maart at the Taung Village in Nasrec yesterday pinning him down on whether he’ll hoist a trophy this season.
The Kaizer Chiefs captain cut a subdued figure, keeping his head down during the session, while the morning sunshine in the south of Johannesburg didn’t help his cause either.
In his replies, Maart did his best not to put his head on the block and make daring promises, which would whet the appetite of the starving Amakhosi fans.
It’s now been 10 years since Chiefs bagged a trophy, having last tasted success in the Premiership under then-coach Stuart Baxter, whose club captain was Itumeleng Khune.
But perhaps for the first time since that 2014/2015 season, there’s a resounding belief around the club that current coach Nasreddine Nabi and Maart could bring a trophy to their cabinet.
Nabi has brought a breath of fresh air since arriving at Chiefs in winter as the team haven’t only shown a bright start in results in the league, but in their performances as well.
Amakhosi have won two games and lost one in the Premiership so far. And even in the loss at home to champions Mamelodi Sundowns, they still showed up.
And so, as Chiefs hosted the media yesterday ahead of the Cufa Cup at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday (3pm kick-off), Maart was drilled on the trophy prospects.
The Bafana midfielder will want the team to set their tone by winning the CUFA Cup – a friendly clash that’s part of the Cultural Urban Festival Africa – before challenging for the Premiership, Carling Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup.
“Anything is possible. But it will take us hard work (to win a trophy),” Maart said. “The way we play, to be honest, you can see there’s big improvement.
“As players, (we are trying to do what) the coaches want because they are aggressive on us. We are also aggressive. So, there’s a possibility to win something this season.”
Carling Knockout Last 16
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) October 8, 2024
SuperSport United🔵 vs. Kaizer Chiefs ✌️
The date and venue will be confirmed in due course. #Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #CarlingKnockout pic.twitter.com/KQiIF3BzuL
Indeed, anything is possible. Nabi has proven and declared that he’s a winner at heart, having won back-to-back doubles – two titles and two domestic cups – at Young Africans.
The 59-year-old’s only blemish was last season at AS FAR as he endured a barren run, albeit finishing just a point short of the title before losing the Throne Cup final.
The winning mentality of Nabi and his technical team has been boiling over to the players as everyone has had to pull their weight.
“Every season is different. This season, I think the different team has a different mentality – they (coaches) brought that mentality to us as well,” Maart said.
“They are aggressive towards us. Even at training, they’ll shout at you if they must. They are no favourites in the team.”
Nabi’s no-nonsense approach has been evident in his team’s structure and set-up. No one is guaranteed a starting berth as only good-enough players are selected.
Newbies Fiacre Ntwari, Bradley Cross, Inacio Miguel and Rushwin Dortley have impressed instantly, while youngsters such as Mduduzi Shabalala, Mfundo Vilakazi and Wandile Duba are proving to be up to the task of representing the Amakhosi.
Maart, as the club captain, must ensure that everyone feels part and parcel of the team, especially the seniors who are not playing, to keep a quiet dressing room. How has he been doing it?
“There are a lot of players who’ve been here for a long time. So, it’s not only me. They are also helping where they can help me as the captain,” Maart said.
“So, with everyone, we click well together. We have conversations and try to know what is what in everyone’s life when we can. Not to make the person angry, but to understand him.”
But while Maart must help in keeping things together, he must also focus on his game, especially given the criticism he sometimes gets for his performances on social media.
“To be honest, if you take seriously what’s said on social media about you, it will kill you,” Maart explained.
“If you read the comments, they’ll hurt you. At the end of the day, you are a human being. So, I don’t go there and don’t know what’s going on there.”
Maart is focused on himself and leading by example, as that will help his Chiefs teammates to grow in leaps and bounds as well.
“From my side, I need to push harder as the captain and leader – so that everyone around me can also push harder,” he said.
“Eventually, if everyone goes a level up (among the players), then there’s something right that we’ll be doing as the players.”