Kaizer Chiefs players don’t love the badge, they are just playing for money – Mayo

Former Kaizer Chiefs player Patrick Mayo has hit out at Kaizer Chiefs players accusing them of playing for money and not the badge.

Amakhosi have had a rather poor start to the 2021-22 campaign as they are lying 12th on the 16-team table with six points from six matches. They have managed a single win and lost four matches in the process.

According to Mayo, who starred for the Glamour Boys in a decorated spell at Naturena from 2003-2007, the team’s poor start can be attributed to the current group of players’ drive, the recruitment policy, and the constant underperformance of experienced players.

‘They don’t have heart’

“They don’t have heart,” Mayo told Kickoff.com when asked for his thoughts on the current Chiefs squad.

“Our generation used to love the badge and we used to fight for the badge. But when it comes to them they don’t have that heart. They are just playing for money. But during our time we were not earning much so we used to love the badge.

“If you are a football player you always play under pressure. You will have to learn to play under those circumstances.

“Whether you are in public walking in a mall, pressure is always there. So I can say the Chiefs jersey is too heavy for them.

‘With us, we used to take the pressure’

“With us, we used to take the pressure because you lose two, three games at Chiefs, don’t think you would be able to go to the mall. Otherwise, you’d get all sorts of insults from the supporters, and rightfully so because they are paying their monies to enter the stadium.”

Mayo has further revealed how winning bonuses used to motivate them by explaining: “We knew reaching every semi-final meant money for us. There’s only one hurdle that we need to overcome, to win the semi-final and get to the final.

“We knew losing the final meant we would receive nothing from the club. If we win we get bonuses. These days if they lose, win or draw it’s all the same to them because they will still receive the same salary.

“At Chiefs, we used to work for our winning bonus more than we did for our salary because we were earning very little.”

‘I am not happy about recruitment process’

On the recruitment over the last five years, Mayo said: “I’m not happy about that. They must not assume I’m saying this because I’m bitter, I’m not bitter I’m just telling the honest truth.

“If you look carefully the last time Chiefs signed a [top] player was during our time. But since we left I’m not happy with their signings.

“Some are doing okay, like Phathutshedzo Nange for me, has been the best signing for Chiefs. He is doing exactly what we are looking for at Chiefs. Cole Alexander also is doing more than fine to me.

“But we need to sign quality centre-backs at Chiefs. You don’t need to be in the rebuilding process at Chiefs, that club is a brand. You need to sign quality players in that department. I doubt if there will be any accolades if the likes of Cardoso is still there.”

Mayo continued: “The likes of Cardoso continue to make schoolboy errors but are experienced players. Even in the goalkeeping department, if it was up to me I would always go for Bvuma instead of Khune and Akpeyi.

“They are the senior players, Bvuma should be learning from them, but instead it’s them who are learning from him. That boy single-handedly carried Kaizer Chiefs to the semi-final of the Champions League.”