Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel believes there is no pressure in representing one of South Africa’s biggest football clubs, insisting that playing for the Glamour Boys should instead be viewed as a privilege.
Chiefs are preparing for a highly anticipated Betway Premiership clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Saturday, with expectations high around the fixture.
However, Miguel has spurned the idea that the occasion brings pressure, drawing a distinction between the demands of professional football and the real-life challenges faced away from the pitch.
I always say to our boys, especially the young boys, that there is no pressure. Pressure is when you have to feed your family and you can’t go to work,Miguel said.
Pressure is when you have someone in hospital who is sick and you can’t do anything about it.
The Angolan defender reflected on a personal experience involving his grandmother, who was hospitalised while he was in Angola and unable to be with her.
I felt that pressure when my grandmother was in hospital in Portugal and I was in Angola. I was eight hours away and couldn’t do anything. That was real pressure.
For Miguel, the responsibility of playing for a club of Chiefs’ stature should therefore not be confused with pressure.
Playing for Kaizer Chiefs, playing in such a big game, is not pressure. It’s a privilege,he added.
Obviously, it comes with responsibility, so I would change the word pressure to responsibility.
That responsibility will be particularly important when Chiefs face Sundowns, one of the dominant forces in South African football.
Rather than fearing the occasion, Miguel believes his teammates should embrace the opportunity to test themselves against a top side.
We’re going to face Sundowns with a lot of responsibility. There is no better game to play than against such a huge team,” he said.
I wouldn’t call that pressure. I call it a privilege.
Miguel’s comments underline the mindset Chiefs will need as they prepare for one of the biggest fixtures of the early Betway Premiership season, with the defender urging the younger members of the squad to enjoy the occasion and focus on performing rather than being overwhelmed by expectations.
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