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Watch this space: Motaung

Johannesburg - Kaizer Chiefs' head honcho Jessica Motaung is not getting carried away with the team's impressive form and has reserved judgment until the end of the season.

"This is definitely an exciting team to watch. The football has been amazing.

"The hunger within the players has been fantastic, but let's judge them at the end of the season.

"It's not about how we start, it's about how we finish," Motaung said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

She was speaking at the Sports Industry Summit where sports leaders engaged on burning sports issues.

Amakhosi have registered a perfect record so far this season -- winning nine consecutive matches since the season kicked off last month.

Chiefs' blistering start has yielded the prospect of a scintillating MTN8 final with arch-rivals Orlando Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.

Motaung said it would be meaningless for the team to have a brilliant start, but have nothing to show for it at the end.

And against the Buccaneers, they need to pick up the first piece of available silverware.

"To have a derby final is very exciting. The players are preparing vigorously and we are ready for the team to raise the trophy and continue lifting trophies this season," Motaung said.

Chiefs demanded excellence from their players and in the final it would be no different, she said.

"We have been very excited to see players stepping up, like Mandla Masango and George Maluleka.

"What's also important is the passionate teamwork that exists. We hope they will go out there at the weekend and work as a team and make us proud."

Motaung said the disappointment of last year's trophyless season had motivated the team not to allow lightning to strike twice.

"After working so hard last season and losing it at the end, the players have come back with a great hunger and passion -- reason being that the players do not want to see themselves in that kind of position again."

Chiefs had a social responsibility to uplift communities and could do so by branching into other sporting codes, Motaung added.

"Before branching into Sevens rugby we definitely looked at other options. We think that basketball is an interesting space and athletics as well."

The Soweto giants are particularly interested in the growth of basketball in the country and, with the club looking to evolve, "watch this space", Motaung said.

"Obviously we don't want to move away from our core. But we have seen the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona ... cover other sporting codes and we have a strong enough brand to do that -- also because we have such a huge fan base.

"Many of our supporters are not necessarily full-time soccer fans. We have youth who are basketball fans who would love to be associated with the Chiefs brand, so I think anything can happen."

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