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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs defender Eric Mathoho is confident his team will retain their league crown as well as the Nedbank Cup title at the end of the season.
Compared to last season, the defending champions did not have a great start to the current campaign, and are currently fifth on the overall PSL log after four games.
Speaking exclusively to Sport24, “Tower” hinted it's still early days and his team will do their best to bounce back from a disappointing start.
“It is too early to say at the moment but we can defend our titles,” Mathoho said.
“We have to take it one game at a time, we can’t judge ourselves by our previous games (against SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows) which we didn’t play well. I am confident we will retain both titles we won last season and still go on to challenge for other honours again.”
Mathoho, 23, won the cup double last season with the Phefeni Glamour Boys in his maiden season with them after joining from Bloemfontein Celtic and said winning silverware was highly pleasing.
“It was a surprise to me, especially after coming from a club that did not win any title when I was with them.
“I felt honoured to have silverware under my name.
“Winning the league is every player’s dream, so to me it was a dream come true and I will continue to work hard so I can taste that feeling again."
Although Mathoho played a significant part in helping Chiefs win the double last season, he was the guilty party of a foul that led to a goal from a Daine Klate free-kick against arch rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the MTN8 semi-final first leg last month, but the Venda-born man-marker stressed that his confidence was not affected despite being benched the following game.
“Mistakes do happen in football. I was just clearing the ball and it happened that I was late.
“We all learn from our mistakes, it doesn’t kill my confidence as a player. I just have to make sure next time I do better than the last time.
“My confidence is still up as I saw that mistake as a learning curve.”
Mathoho did not feature when the Amakhosi defeated Maritzburg United 2-0 at the FNB Stadium over the weekend, courtesy of goals from the Zimbabwean striker, Knowledge Musona, and winger George Lebese.
Compared to last season, the defending champions did not have a great start to the current campaign, and are currently fifth on the overall PSL log after four games.
Speaking exclusively to Sport24, “Tower” hinted it's still early days and his team will do their best to bounce back from a disappointing start.
“It is too early to say at the moment but we can defend our titles,” Mathoho said.
“We have to take it one game at a time, we can’t judge ourselves by our previous games (against SuperSport United and Moroka Swallows) which we didn’t play well. I am confident we will retain both titles we won last season and still go on to challenge for other honours again.”
Mathoho, 23, won the cup double last season with the Phefeni Glamour Boys in his maiden season with them after joining from Bloemfontein Celtic and said winning silverware was highly pleasing.
“It was a surprise to me, especially after coming from a club that did not win any title when I was with them.
“I felt honoured to have silverware under my name.
“Winning the league is every player’s dream, so to me it was a dream come true and I will continue to work hard so I can taste that feeling again."
Although Mathoho played a significant part in helping Chiefs win the double last season, he was the guilty party of a foul that led to a goal from a Daine Klate free-kick against arch rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the MTN8 semi-final first leg last month, but the Venda-born man-marker stressed that his confidence was not affected despite being benched the following game.
“Mistakes do happen in football. I was just clearing the ball and it happened that I was late.
“We all learn from our mistakes, it doesn’t kill my confidence as a player. I just have to make sure next time I do better than the last time.
“My confidence is still up as I saw that mistake as a learning curve.”
Mathoho did not feature when the Amakhosi defeated Maritzburg United 2-0 at the FNB Stadium over the weekend, courtesy of goals from the Zimbabwean striker, Knowledge Musona, and winger George Lebese.
