Kaze Sees Nedbank Cup Exit As Learning Curve
Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze insisted defeat can be a powerful teacher after Amakhosi were eliminated from the Nedbank Cup round of 32 by Stellenbosch on Wednesday night.
Reflecting on the painful exit, Kaze said the setback could ultimately benefit the club, stressing that victories can sometimes create a false sense of progress, while defeats force honest reflection and growth within a team.
“I learn new things every day, and especially in defeat because most people when they win they think they are the best,” Kaze said.
“You need to learn from the defeat and take lessons from it. I would say that, as well as my players, they learned it in a hard way today (on Wednesday).
“But I think this is a defeat that will push everyone in the club to do more.”
Chiefs had arrived at the match in encouraging form, having started 2026 on a high note.
The Soweto giants opened the year with a Betway Premiership victory over Golden Arrows and followed that up with back-to-back wins against ZESCO United in the CAF
Confederation Cup, keeping clean sheets in all three matches and showing renewed defensive solidity.
However, their momentum came to a halt against Stellenbosch, who claimed a 2-1 win to knock Amakhosi out of the Nedbank Cup.
The defeat meant Chiefs failed to defend the title they won last season under the guidance of Tunisian mentor Nasreddine Nabi, a triumph that ended the club’s long 10-year trophy drought at Naturena.
The result also continued an unwelcome trend for Chiefs against Stellies in cup competitions.
This marked the second time Stellenbosch eliminated Amakhosi, having also beaten them in the round of 16 of the Carling Knockout in October last year.
The Burundian mentor also addressed the several changes made to the starting line-up compared to the team that defeated ZESCO United, explaining that squad rotation was
unavoidable, given the demanding schedule and travel commitments.
“I would say it’s a rotation and you will have to do it for a minute, the players have to put all the kilometres that are there,” Kaze added.
“I would say that it’s a must for the rotation because of all those trips. All the players who started are the Kaizer Chiefs players, and they are supposed to play those kinds of games.
“If you are a Kaizer Chiefs player, you need to play against Stellenbosch, and they did everything, and now we have to just look forward.”
The Phefeni Glamour Boys will now turn their attention to continental action as they prepare to host Egyptian heavyweights Al Masry in the CAF Confederation Cup at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.
Chiefs will be aiming for a crucial victory to secure progression to the knockout stage while also seeking revenge after Masry defeated Amakhosi in the first leg in Egypt.
