Thabo Cele opens up on expectations amid Kaizer Chiefs’ flawless start | OneFootball

Interview

Cele addresses weight of expectations amid Chiefs' winning streak

Photo: X/@ Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Thabo Cele has opened up on the weight of expectations at the club this season, amidst an impressive start to their 2025/26 campaign.

The Soweto giants claimed back-to-back victories at the expense of Stellenbosch FC and Polokwane City in their first two Betway Premiership matches. The flawless start has Amakhosi fixated in position two on the log standings.

While Nasreddine Nabi’s charges staged a dismal showing in the league last season, a Nedbank Cup triumph over Orlando Pirates in the final and strong additions to the squad during the off-season brought a sense of optimism and escalated expectations at Naturena.

Cele, who signed for the Glamour Boys in January and quickly emerged as a fan favorite, acknowledges that the stakes are always high at a club of Chiefs’ stature, noting that they must meet the expectations and the standards in the ongoing term.

“Playing for this club, expectations are always there. We are here because we want to handle the expectations and feed people from what they are expecting, which is good results like we started,” he said.

While the 28-year-old dynamic midfielder is optimistic about having a respectable campaign, he is aware that Chiefs are not the finished article at this stage, highlighting finer tactical details that still need improvement.

“But obviously, not everything is perfect, we are trying to improve. We are trying to improve how we play; we are trying to improve in how we create opportunities. In the previous games we didn’t concede, we are trying to maintain and improve on that,” added Cele.

“If you look at the Stellenbosch game, they created some opportunities, and we are trying to minimize teams creating opportunities [against us] and us creating more opportunities. So, I think that’s just about it.

Chiefs will entertain Richards Bay at the FNB Stadium in their third league match of the season on Tuesday evening (19h30). The Natal Rich Boys claimed a 2-0 win the last time the two sides met in the Betway Premiership in March.