'There wasn't the same clarity on how we were going to achieve': What has gone wrong at Chiefs?

"We will rise."

Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Cavin Johnson muttered these words on Thursday morning. At first, it sounded like a question, but then he repeated it with more venom to emphasise the point as if to convince himself, too. 

"We will rise!" 

The country's most successful club, in terms of the number of trophies won, has fallen on such hard times that the pits they languish in are now something of a home for them. 

Chiefs – the team that had never gone two seasons without a trophy – have stretched the club's trophy drought to beyond nine years after being eliminated by first division side Milford FC in the first round of the Nedbank Cup. 

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So, when Chiefs takes on Moroka Swallows at FNB Stadium on Saturday night – it won't just be the Soweto derby but a glimpse into the club's future if they don't arrest the downward spiral they are on. 

The Dube Birds used to soar high in SA football. Their history is filled with impressive feats, including becoming the first club to register as a public company and the first to get a sponsor.

That was in the 70s. 

Now, Swallows are a shadow of their former selves. The club was relegated all the way to the fourth tier of SA football. They found their way back to professional football not because of what they did on the pitch but their owner's wallet. 

Swallows will also be led by an interim coach after Steve Komphela left the club following a turbulent three months in which the management's impasse with their players over unpaid salaries led to them failing to honour their last two fixtures in 2023. 

Chiefs are still somewhat stable.

They recently got a new sponsor in betting platform SuperSportBet. Despite their drought, they are still a more