Kaizer Chiefs’ Edmilson Dove pleads with fans to bear with them

Kaizer Chiefs defender Edmilson Dove has pleaded with Amakhosi supporters to remain faithful and not give up on them, even though the club has made some empty promises.

Dove, who recently returned from a foot injury with some positive individual performances, was addressing the media ahead of their Betway Premiership encounter with TS Galaxy. The two sides meet at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday at 7pm.

It has been 10 years, and players and coaches have come and gone, with the promise to restore the club to glory remaining unfulfilled. As things stand, Chiefs are currently battling for a Top 8 finish, and their only remaining chance to end a 10-year trophy drought is to win the Nedbank Cup, in which they are set to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final.

Chiefs fans, however, have proven to be the most loyal in the PSL, consistently outnumbering any opposition’s supporters at venues across the country.

"From our supporters, we can’t ask for more than what they’ve given us. They’ve been with us through thick and thin, even though the season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to," pleaded Dove.

"As a message to them, they should not give up on the gents (the players) and the support they’ve given us throughout the season. Sometimes we make promises that we can’t keep, but we will still try to do better for the rest of the season."

Chiefs are coming off two consecutive league losses, having conceded a combined four goals against Richards Bay FC (2-1) and Lamontville Golden Arrows (2-0). These four goals took Chiefs' total conceded tally to 28 in 23 games. Among the current top-eight occupants, only AmaZulu FC, sitting at number seven, has conceded more goals (32).

With inconsistency rife across the Premiership table, Chiefs are still holding onto eighth position and will want to secure it to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment, when they finished outside the top bracket.

"This is not a team that should be fighting for a top-eight or top-four finish; it deserves to be at the top. I do not want to dwell too much on what happened last season, when we uncharacteristically finished outside the Top 8," said Dove.

"It is important, even for ourselves, to secure at least one of the cups. The gents are working hard, but that’s life — you’ll always feel like it could have been better. We’ll continue fighting."