Rwanda goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari has not started life at Kaizer Chiefs as anticipated after joining from TS Galaxy in the summer transfer window.
The Soweto Giants decided to strengthen the department after the exit of legendary custodian Itumeleng Khune who had served the club for 25 years. The Amavubi star was brought in to help stabilize the defensive unit owing to errors by Brandon Petersen and Bruce Bvuma who is currently serving as the second choice.
In the seven competitive matches played, Ntwari has kept just one clean sheet and conceded 11 goals in the process. There has been pressure from the fans for coach Nasreddine Nabi to consider replacing the 25-year-old.
I am not the problem at Chiefs – Ntwari
Ntwari concedes the Glamour Boys are struggling to keep clean sheets, but insists it is a collective responsibility and the burden should not be put squarely on him.
“It’s not about me being the problem. The issue is the team isn’t in a good place right now. We started the season well, but over the last three games, we haven’t performed as expected. This is a team with a passionate fan base, and the pressure to win every match is always there,” he told the New Times.
“Sometimes players are at fault, but the only way forward is to keep working hard. We’ll continue giving everything to ensure the team gets back on track.”
Pitch invasion is not a big deal
The custodian has further admitted there is pressure to deliver, unlike his former TS Galaxy team. Ntwari commented on the recent frustrations of the fans including pitch invasions and objects aimed at officials.
“It’s not a big deal. These things happen in football. You can’t win every match, and sometimes fans don’t handle that well. But that’s the reality of the sport. I believe things will improve in the coming days,” Ntwari added.
“TS Galaxy is a smaller team, while Kaizer Chiefs is a much bigger club with a huge fan base. Fans here expect positive results in every game, but football doesn’t always work like that. As players, we just need to keep pushing and giving our all to help the team perform better.”
Ntwari expects to be fit for Wednesday's Premier Soccer League game against Richards Bay after getting injured against Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, a match Rwanda won 2-1.
