Kaizer Chiefs stars told how to survive at Naturena Village: ‘I would not have failed’

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Cole Alexander insists that playing for Amakhosi and Orlando Pirates requires one to have more than physical strength.

Some players have struggled to make an impact for the Soweto giants despite their massive impact when turning out for other teams. It happened with Alexander who played for the Glamour Boys between 2021 to 2023.

Despite coming into the club full of promise, the now 36-year-old left without fully fulfilling his potential. He briefly played for Swedish outfit Helsingborg before returning home, where he played for Polokwane City.

Alexander argues he did not have the mental strength to effectively feature for Chiefs, and it contributed to his struggles.

Why some players struggle at Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates

“It sounds like a cliche, but the new environment, culture and spotlight really do play a big role. It sometimes affects how you play. I was personally affected by that. It helps when you have the right combination of character, personality and career hardships before you arrive at a big club like Chiefs,” he told FARPost.

“All of the Chiefs midfielders, the way I know them, how they played at previous clubs. They are all capable and talented. They are very good, well-rounded players with both technical and tactical skills.”

“My guess or assumption is that the challenges are in the mind. You know, I say this so much to the kids, we train the body so much and neglect the mind. They say football is 70% the mind, but how much do we train the mind? Not as much as we train the body.”

Maart had a great mentality

“Joining clubs like Chiefs and Orlando Pirates you need a good brain and a strong mentality. If I knew how to deal with my mind, I would not have failed at Chiefs.

“Yusuf Maart, with whom I played, had the mental strength. In my opinion, he has a great mentality, and they missed him.

“When things didn’t go his way, he bounced back very quickly. He was not afraid to try again,” Alexander concluded.