Chiefs threatening their longest barren spell after failing to score in opening games of 2022

Kaizer Chiefs’ slow start to 2022 has seen them fail to score in their opening two games of the year despite an embarrassment of riches up front, and only once in the last six years have they gone three games without finding the back of the net.

Coach Stuart Baxter’s side returned from the long mid-season break with a 0-1 loss to TS Galaxy in the Nedbank Cup and a 0-0 draw with Cape Town City in the DStv Premiership, and in neither of those games looked particularly threatening.

Against City they only had one shot on target despite seeing most of the ball as their potency as an attacking force fell away as soon as they reached their opponent’s box.

They started both games with Keagan Dolly and Khama Billiat, and were able to call Leonardo Castro (against Galaxy) and Samir Nurkovic off the bench, but still drew blanks.

They are now threatening their longest barren spell in front of goal since a horrific nine days for the club in October and November 2020 when they lost twice to bitter Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semifinals, going down 3-0 and 2-0, and in between those two defeats were held to a 0-0 draw by Galaxy.

That is the only time they have gone three games without finding the back of the net since successive goalless draws against Maritzburg United, Pirates and Baroka in 2016.

Trying to shut them out for a third time in a row next Saturday will be Baroka, a team who have only conceded a single goal in their last three matches against Royal AM, Stellenbosch FC and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Baroka looked to have have tightened up at the back, despite sitting at the foot of the DStv Premiership tablebefore, but they unravelled against Sekhukhune as they lost 4-0 on Sunday. 

Baxter bemoaned the movement of players around the front three after the stalemate with City on Tuesday, and one thing that could assist the side is the return to individual training of left-back Sifiso Hlanti.

When fully fit and in flow, he is a potent attacking weapon with his ability to overlap on the wing and provide crosses into the box that the fit-again Castro and Nurkovic should be able to feed off.

Hlanti has been missing for four months after he tore his Achilles tendon in training at the start of November and was forced to have surgery, but is already running again and could soon be involved in the team’s practice sessions.

Chiefs had feared he would be out for the remainder of the season, but the 31-year-old has made quicker than expected progress.

AmaKhosi also expect to have Cole Alexander and Njabulo Ngcobo back from injury when they face Baroka.