sportskeeda
Dillon Sheppard, assistant coach of the Kaizer Chiefs’ DStv Diski Challenge team, is hopeful that winning the reserve league title will positively affect the first team, which has faced a trophy drought for ten years.
The Amakhosi reserve team is on the brink of securing the DStv Diski Challenge title, delivering outstanding performances this season under the guidance of Sheppard and head coach Vela Khumalo.
They currently lead the standings with 61 points after 25 matches, slightly ahead of reigning champions Stellenbosch, who have an extra game played.
Recently, Chiefs celebrated a 3-1 victory against Richards Bay, while Stellenbosch matched their performance with a 2-0 win over AmaZulu.
If the Chiefs can achieve two more wins in their last three matches, they will clinch the title that has escaped them since the league’s inception in 2014.
Moreover, the Chiefs have a rescheduled match against Chippa United pending a review from the PSL’s Disciplinary Committee. If the Chiefs are granted the three points, they will need just one more win to secure the Diski Challenge trophy.
“We need to concentrate on ourselves,” Sheppard remarked. “Winning after a decade is meaningful, and if the reserve team can aid the first team, that would be remarkable, as we all represent the club. We are determined to succeed, and hopefully, this will positively influence the first team.”
The senior Kaizer Chiefs team last won a league title under coach Stuart Baxter in the 2014/15 season, during which they also claimed the MTN8 trophy.
This prolonged period without silverware may soon be over, as Amakhosi fans might be gearing up for a double celebration, with the senior team having progressed to the Nedbank Cup final after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-finals.
Chiefs are set to face their Soweto rivals and trophy specialists, Orlando Pirates, in the Nedbank Cup final at Moses Mabhida Stadium on May 10.
