Tshepo Bulu: Former Kaizer Chiefs Striker Explains Why Forwards Struggle at the Club

Former Kaizer Chiefs player Tshepo Bulu has weighed in on why strikers often struggle to score goals once they join the Soweto giants, despite having successful spells at their previous clubs.

Kaizer Chiefs have faced challenges in finding a consistent and reliable striker, with their current options failing to deliver the expected results in front of goal.

In the just-concluded season, Wandile Duba was the club's top scorer with just six goals, while Ashley Du Preez and Ranga Chivaviro, who has since left the club, each scored only three goals.

Despite bringing in Tashreeq Morris from SuperSport United in the January transfer window, the South African striker has yet to open his goal-scoring account for Chiefs.

Ex-Chiefs star explains why strikers struggle at the club

Bulu, who played for the club from 2007 to 2010, shared his thoughts on why strikers find it tough to succeed at Chiefs. Speaking to KickOff, he highlighted the immense pressure and mental strength required to thrive at the club.

“To succeed as a striker at Chiefs, you need real mental strength, the expectations are massive,” Bulu said.

“Modern football has changed. Midfielders and defenders now take shots from distance rather than feeding the strikers, which makes things even harder.”

He also pointed to the intense scrutiny strikers face, particularly the fans' high expectations.

“There’s no such thing as a friendly game at Chiefs. Every match is under the microscope. Strikers don’t get much time to settle in, and that affects their performance.”

Bulu reflected on his own experience when he first joined Kaizer Chiefs, revealing the adjustment challenges he faced.

“I remember my first training session was on a Thursday. I came in on Cyril Nzama’s recommendation. I impressed during set pieces, and Coach Kosta Papic wanted to sign me. But I was told to wait because a new coach, Muhsin Ertugral, was coming in.”

Bulu trained with the team for nearly a month before he was officially signed. Despite his talent, the new coach saw him more as a winger or No. 10 rather than a traditional target man.

“They brought me in for my talent, but the new coach saw me more as a winger or No. 10, not a target man. I was even told not to stay too close to defenders. It was a tough adjustment,” he added, reflecting on his time at Chiefs, where he made 16 appearances and scored two goals.

Source: Briefly News