Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari has dismissed claims that he is at heart of the club’s current struggles in the South African Premier League. The Rwanda international joined Chiefs from TS Galaxy in the off-season and took over the number one role between the posts shortly after his arrival. He has, however, been the target of Chiefs’ supporters, accusing him of making a couple mistakes in goal that cost his team in recent matches. The most recent incident occurred when a group of angry fans stormed the pitch and attacked him following Chiefs’ 4-0 loss at home to Mamelodi Sundowns. Commenting about his current situation at the club, the former AS Kigali shot stopper admitted that the team is struggling for performance but insists that it can’t be solely down to one individual but the team in general. ALSO READ: Fiacre Ntwari: Rwanda’s penalty-saving maestro reflects on football journey “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,” Ntwari said. The goalkeeper explained that such incidents of fans showing frustrations towards their players are common in football, particularly in clubs with large fan base. “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,” he added. Kaizer Chiefs have won twice and draw once in their last five league games. They currently sit eighth in the South African top tier league with 7 points, 14 points behind league leaders Orlando Pirates who have played two games more. Comparing Chiefs to his former club TS Galaxy, the goalkeeper said, “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,” he explained. Since joining Kaizer Chiefs during the summer transfer window in a deal worth over RWF 400 million, Ntwari has made seven appearances from which he conceded 11 goals and kept one clean sheet. Reflecting the current situation, he expressed optimism about the team’s future. “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,” he said. Ntwari was on international duty and he was between the posts when Rwanda beat Nigeria 2-1 in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier held in Uyo. The result was not enough for Amavubi to qualify for the tournament in Morocco after finishing third in Group D, lagging behind Benin who stole the ticket on goal difference as both teams were tied on 8 points.
