Bvuma catching strays!

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper, Bruce Bvuma, was on the receiving end of harsh criticism from football supporters this past season. Most of those who were not impressed by the 30-year-old goalminder stopped short of blaming him for the terrible defensive record of the Naturena-based club. But while it is easy for everyone to point a finger at a goalkeeper, there were more problems in the Amakhosi team than just the goalkeeping department.

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Amakhosi finished the 2024/25 Betway Premiership in ninth place, one spot better than last season, with 32 goals conceded! Only AmaZulu FC and Marumo Gallants conceded more than Chiefs, on 34 and 39 respectively, in 28 games. The Glamour Boys conceded 30 in 30 the previous term and, on paper, these stats speak to poor defensive organisation, which - unfortunately - to a lot of people means goalkeeping. A lot of emphasis is put on goals conceded more than it is on how those goals were conceded. Also, when you look at Mamelodi Sundowns conceding just 13 in 28 games and Orlando Pirates conceding seven more goals, then you realise that Chiefs could have done much better at defending their goals.

Before you blame the goalkeeping department, consider the fact that Sundowns scored a whopping 65 goals while Pirates found the back of the opposition net 43 times, in comparison to Chiefs' 25. That means Downs scored a staggering 40 more goals than Chiefs last season, with Pirates scoring 18 more! If this doesn’t demonstrate the fact that the problem wasn’t just in defence but up front as well for the Phefeni Boys, then one doesn’t know what will! Some of the more regular players were played out of position from time to time, once again, because of various reasons.