Former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns striker Katlego Mashego says new Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi must be given time to build his team.
Though the new season hasn't even kicked off yet, Mashego says Amakhosi are still too far behind in terms of performance compared to Sundowns and Pirates.
The 4-0 drubbing that Chiefs suffered in the hands of Tanzanian giants Young Africans SC in the pre-season Toyota Cup friendly, has suddenly brought a lot of doubt to the club's faithful.
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"It's pre-season, so the earlier you get setbacks, the earlier you can be able to bounce back," Mashego tells KickOff.
"Pirates, they look solid; it's the same team that played for the past two years or so, excluding maybe one or two players. They should be happy with their pre-season.
"As for Sundowns, their pre-season, it was a mixed one. They were winning but at the same time losing some games.
"But Kaizer Chiefs they are still in a building phase, new coach, lot of young players and stuff that they need to do.
"I could see what the new coach wants to do, but it will take them a long time to build a team that can challenge the league.
"But I don't think they have enough to challenge for the league Chiefs, but Pirates, yes, they look more solid and organized.
"Sundowns will always be there because of the quality. They recently lost their coach, but for me, I think Pirates had the best pre-season.
"It's a bit tough to pinpoint what Chiefs need, they have a new coach plus a lot of young players who haven't achieved much in the game.
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"In the future, they might grow into something different, but in the immediate future, I don't think they have enough to challenge Sundowns or Pirates.
"The Chiefs coach needs to be given enough time to build the team that he wants. It's not like they have a choice because they don't like have enough experienced players.