Kaizer Chiefs defender Thatayaone Ditlhokwe shared his first-season experience at Naturena and reflected on the challenging campaign the Soweto giants had. 

Ditlhokwe was announced as a new arrival after he was snapped up from Supersport United, with Kaizer Chiefs moving swiftly to finalise the free transfer as the centre back had entered into the final six months of his contract with Matsatsantsa.

While he expresses disappointment in the team’s performance this term, the Botswana men’s national team captain believes the glamour boys can take a lot of positives from this campaign heading into the next one.

Ditlhokwe said “As we come to the end of the season, in my opinion, it hasn’t gone as well as we had hoped,” he told www.kaizerchiefs.com.

He adds, “But with each and every challenge that one faces, there are always lessons to be learned and experiences to be gained, so it is important to work on the positives and work on carrying them. 

Ditlhokwe’s debut season was marred by a series of injury setbacks, including one that saw him endure a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which resulted in the defender missing a large part of the season, a period he admits was difficult.

“I was out for almost six months, but that’s football, you know injuries are part of the game. Being unable to play has been very difficult, but now I am grateful to have fully recovered,” he reflected.

With the curtains closing down on the 2023/24 DSTV Premiership campaign, Ditlhokwe has stressed the importance of the club’s final game of the season against an already relegated Cape Town Spurs, who aim to finish the season on a high by securing a top-eight finish; however, the centre back warns against complacency.

“The last game is still very important, and we are preparing and working hard in order to solidify our spot in the top eight. Cape Town Spurs already relegated, but that makes them a very dangerous team because they have nothing to lose and we have a lot to lose.

He continued to cite, “Therefore, we are preparing to be at our best; there is a chance of other teams on the same points overtaking us, which is why we are focused first and foremost on winning against Spurs and hopefully scoring a few goals.

Ditlhokwe is confident the Soweto giants will make the top eight, and the team wants to reward their faithful supporters with a positive end to the season to create a sense of anticipation for better things to come next term.

“Every player is fully motivated to get the result we need, especially for our supporters who have been behind us all the way, even when we haven’t done so well. So we really want to end the season well and give them something to look forward to next season.”

Amakhosi is hanging onto 8th place on the log standings, level on points with Amazulu, and Polokwane City has a superior goal difference and will be away to Spurs on Saturday. Usuthu will battle the Golden Arrows in the KZN derby, with both teams looking to sneak into the top half of the table, while Rise and Shine will host the top four chasing TS Galaxy as Chippa United hosts Sekhukhune United.