Kaizer Chiefs Coach Cedric Kaze Blames Fear for 3-0 Loss to Orlando Pirates

Cedric Kaze slams Pirates' 'tricks' after Kaizer Chiefs' 3-0 defeat

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze attributes 3-0 loss to Orlando Pirates to fear, as Chiefs trail by 11 points in Betway Premiership.

“The only way is to keep our heads up, go into the next games and pick up as many points as we can...”

Kaizer Chiefs' co-coach Cedric Kaze attributes their 3-0 loss to Orlando Pirates to fear, saying his team was too intimidated in the first half. “We played with fear, we were not pressing or defending every 50-50 ball,” Kaze said, adding that Pirates' dominance was evident.

Pirates' goals from Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis, and Evidence Makgopa sealed a comprehensive win, marking their biggest league victory over Chiefs in 25 years. This defeat leaves Chiefs 11 points off the top of the Betway Premiership table.

The Chiefs were struggling, failing to manage a shot in the first half and trailing 2-0 at the break. They were really battling to get a foothold in the game.

Kaze also criticized Pirates' players for pretending to be injured, saying “I congratulate Pirates for the three points and for their tricks … falling down all the time ”

“In the first half we were not good at all,” Kaze said. “We played with fear, we were not pressing or contesting every 50-50 ball. In the first 15 minutes of the second half we were better in our pressing game and in trying to find solutions.”

Kaze wasn't pleased with Pirates' players, feeling they deliberately disrupted the game's flow, denying Chiefs momentum with their theatrics.

“I congratulate Pirates for the three points and for their tricks, falling down all the time,” Kaze said. “Their goalkeeper (Sipho Chaine) fell down five times and didn’t get substituted. It is experience.”

Chiefs are in a tough spot, having lost four of their last five games. They're out of the CAF Confederation Cup and Nedbank Cup, and now their title hopes are fading fast.

“The only way to bounce back is to work. We talked to the players and told them now we have a debt to the fans,” Kaze said. “The way to redeem ourselves is to pick up points and show what happened in the derby was an accident and should not have happened.

“The only way is to keep our heads up, go into the next games and pick up as many points as we can.”

Kaze wasn't commenting on whether his job's on the line, keeping mum on whether him and co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef are on shaky ground.

☠️ FT | @KaizerChiefs 0 - 3 @orlandopirates

🥅 Moremi 5', Appollis 39', Makgopa 78'

⚫️⚪️🔴⭐️#MatchDay#OrlandoPirates #OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/MJ5ZpeQM25

— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) February 28, 2026

“That is not up to me,” he said. “I believe the coaches are here because they are trusted by management. It is true we have had a series of bad results, but I believe there are things that have worked in the last few months.

“We need to remind ourselves of that and remind the players.”

Chiefs' next match is on Tuesday, away to Richards Bay. Can they bounce back?