Kaizer Chiefs are walking into Kaizer Chiefs Vs Mamelodi Sundowns with a bit of swagger, and that is not something they can fake. Two straight wins to start the Betway Premiership season has changed the mood, and Asanele Velebayi has made it clear that the confidence is real, not manufactured.
That matters because this is not just another league fixture. Mamelodi Sundowns arrive at FNB Stadium on Saturday at 3pm as African champions and CAF Champions League champions, which is exactly the sort of test that exposes whether early optimism is substance or just noise. Chiefs know the size of the challenge. They also know they have earned the right to believe in themselves.
Chiefs are in the kind of mood every team wants
Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United was the latest sign that Amakhosi are not stumbling into this game. They have won both of their opening league matches, and that sort of start does more than fill the points column. It gives a squad belief, rhythm and, crucially, a little bit of edge.
Velebayi did not dress it up. He admitted the scale of the task against African champions, but said Chiefs are going into the match with confidence from their last win. He was even more direct about the team’s mindset, saying the confidence is high and the mentality is high because they know what is required. That is exactly what a team should sound like before a game of this size: aware of the danger, but not frightened by it.
A personal lift for Velebayi and Baartman
There was also something more personal in the Sekhukhune win. Luke Baartman’s first goal for Chiefs clearly meant a lot in the dressing room, with Velebayi saying it was inspiring and describing the moment as especially proud because the two came through the youth of Ajax Cape Town, now Cape Town Spurs. In football, confidence often starts in those small emotional details. A teammate scoring for the first time can be the spark that makes a group feel connected rather than just assembled.
Velebayi also spoke about Fernando Da Cruz in terms that tell you a lot about the standards inside the camp. He described the coach as very demanding, always wanting extra even when players feel they are already giving their best. That kind of pressure can be uncomfortable, but it is also the sort of discipline a team needs if it is serious about turning a promising start into something more durable.
So the picture is clear enough. Chiefs are not arriving at FNB Stadium as a side begging for mercy. They are arriving with two wins, a 2-0 midweek result, and a growing sense that they know what is required. Whether that is enough to trouble Sundowns is another question entirely. But one thing is beyond debate: confidence is not the issue here. Execution will be.
