“It’s Not Personal”: Da Silva Breaks Silence On The Pressure At Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs striker Flavio Da Silva has opened up about handling the intense scrutiny at Naturena, revealing how he transformed early criticism into the fuel that has established him as a cornerstone of the Amakhosi attack.

The 29-year-old Guinea-Bissau international initially struggled to find his rhythm after arriving from Indonesia. However, his resilience has paid dividends. Da Silva has now racked up eight goals and two assists across all competitions, a run of form that recently earned him a recall to the Guinea-Bissau national team.

His latest contribution—the opening goal in Sunday’s victory over TS Galaxy at FNB Stadium—solidified his status as the “Phefeni Glamour Boys'” most clinical asset.

Navigating the Naturena Pressure Cooker

For Da Silva, the vocal demands of the Chiefs faithful are a metric of performance rather than a personal attack.

“For me, since the criticism is not personal, it’s okay,” he said.

“I think that means I’m not playing well and I can improve.

“Since I’m playing well now, I know they are going to greet me, respect me, and give me a lot of love. So, for me, criticism is okay because I think it is part of football.”

While Da Silva’s individual form is peaking, he remains grounded regarding the team’s overall trajectory. Chiefs currently sit third in the Betway Premiership with 42 points.

With two games in hand, Amakhosi are in a prime position to secure a CAF Confederation Cup spot.

“I’m new here, so before I arrived, I made my analysis, and the compact is going fine,” he added.

“So, for me, I’m not 100% satisfied, but in these moments, I can’t say I’m happy, but it is a better situation now. If you look at the last few seasons, the team struggled to reach the top three and top two, and to win titles.

“It is not enough because the club speaks, and the minimum we can give to the club is to compete with the top clubs. I think in these moments, we are not there yet, but we are close, and it is a process.”

Da Silva is expected to lead the line again this Wednesday night as Chiefs travel to Peter Mokaba Stadium to face Magesi.