As Kaizer Chiefs head into the final stretch of the season, they have a good chance of finishing the Betway Premiership as high as third on the standings, and for forward Ashley du Preez, it will be an intriguing battle.
Under new coach Nasreddine Nabi, Chiefs made a strong start to their current campaign before their results became more inconsistent.
Currently, Chiefs are in eighth position, not much better than the 10th spot they finished last season, which saw interim coach Cavin Johnson quietly make his way out of the club.
This term, though, despite their nine defeats and five draws in the league from their 22 matches, Chiefs still have the chance to finish as high as third.
Chiefs, with their 29-point tally, are just six behind third-placed Stellenbosch FC.
Kaizer Chiefs always striving for more, says Ashley du Preez
“When there are setbacks coming your way, it is about how you bounce back,” Du Preez told Sportsboom.co.za.
“For me, this season has been a really good one, but together as a club, we can do much better, and we need to focus on getting into a higher position. As a player, it's always nice to win games for your team and also to make the fans happy as well as the club."
"We need to win as many games as we can so that we can finish in a better position than we are currently, so that our fans and the club can be proud of us.”
Du Preez himself has had his struggles with injury this season with a shoulder problem, and he would dearly like to return to full fitness.
"Personally, there is still a lot I can improve on. I haven't started a lot of games, and I would also like to be injury-free because injuries always take you out, and when coming back, it is always a struggle to get back to the team.”
At 27, Du Preez has also just had his contract at Chiefs extended for another two years.
“I am pleased that my contract was extended, but I also want to improve on the number of goals I score.
“For me, it will really be important for the rest of the season to reduce my injuries and get as many appearances in the starting eleven as possible, to also help the team win games, and to hopefully also be more on the score sheet.”