Zitha Kwinika's Role in Kaizer Chiefs' Reinvention
Zitha Kwinika has quietly become the constant in a Kaizer Chiefs side trying to reinvent itself.
Five games into his fifth season back at Naturena, the 32-year-old has not missed a single minute, anchoring the backline alongside new defensive partner Inacio Miguel. The pairing has given Chiefs something they have craved for years: stability.
And from that vantage point, Kwinika is convinced something is shifting.
“We have proven in the games we have played that we are a different team compared to last season,” he said, speaking to KickOff. “The style of play and the structure show there's improvement. There are new tactics that are being placed and we are trying to get to a certain way of playing that we enjoy. We are getting better as a team.”
Smaller teams, bigger mentality
For all the tactical tweaks and fresh ideas under Da Cruz, one old problem still hangs over Chiefs: dropping points against so‑called smaller clubs.
It has cost them in title races. It has cost them in confidence. And Kwinika knows it.
“This season, we are in a different mission,” he stressed. “The games that we need to collect points from are such games [against Richards Bay]. We must win these games.”
Richards Bay away at Princess Magogo Stadium is exactly the kind of fixture that has tripped Chiefs up in recent campaigns. No glamour, no derby hype, just a stubborn opponent and a tricky pitch. Kwinika insists that mindset around these matches has changed.
“Obviously, Richards Bay is a difficult team to play against, yes, we give them the respect, but we also have our objectives,” he said. “We know what we expect and we have prepared well for them.”
In his eyes, these league fixtures now carry the same weight as a Soweto Derby. The message is clear: if Chiefs are serious about ending their long league drought, they cannot afford to treat any opponent as routine.
Chasing momentum, not moments
The word that keeps coming up around Chiefs is “consistency”. Not a big win here and there. A run. A habit.
For Kwinika, that starts with something simple: get used to winning.
“Obviously, to keep the momentum is for us to get positive results,” he explained. “I think that is the best way to keep the momentum, getting good results, mainly winning games, that’s the only way to keep the momentum going in the environment and the confidence.
“So, I think getting used to winning is important because it just creates an environment of winners and winners get stronger by day.”
No talk of shortcuts. No talk of luck. Just the grind of three points at a time, especially in games where Chiefs are expected to dominate.
New faces, new energy
The shift at Chiefs is not only tactical. It is also generational.
Kwinika has watched young talents like Langelihle Phili and Luke Baartman step into the starting XI and make their presence felt. Phili has already found the net. Baartman, long on the fringes, is now earning real minutes.
“The new players are gelling well,” Kwinika said. “To name like your Phili scored a goal and your Baartman, yes, they have been with the team but now getting an opportunity to start games. That shows we are in the right direction, and most players are understanding what’s required from them.”
For a club under constant pressure to sign big and deliver bigger, seeing academy products and younger squad members take their chance sends a powerful message through the dressing room.
Experience at the back. Fresh legs up front. A clearer structure in between.
Now comes the hard part: turning all of that into a relentless run of results, starting with a fixture that, in recent years, Chiefs might have sleepwalked through. This time, Kwinika is adamant, that cannot happen.
