At the time of going to print, Kaizer Chiefs had 34 points from 27 matches, a full 28 points behind Mamelodi Sundowns. By the time the curtain falls on this forgettable season, they may find that the champions have more than double the number of points. When Arthur Zwane was appointed two years ago, Kaizer Motaung Jr. spoke about a “three-year project” and he went on to say that “It’s very, very important that the foundation that you lay, is found to be impeccable.” In essence, he was saying that certain steps needed to be followed in order to gradually move towards success. When Molefi Ntseki’s mandate was explained publicly, the Sporting Director said it was to “Win trophies, win league titles, it’s to be on the continent, integrating youth. You’re here to win, build something at the same time, but you’re here to win”. The question this season is whether Chiefs have built anything for their next coach to inherit. Are there any pairings or partnerships on the field that the new mentor can fall back on? Is there a core of players in place with just a few problem positions to fix in the transfer window? In this feature, we reveal why this entire 2023/24 season has been a waste.
Easy coaching choice cop out
Whether the decision to demote Arthur Zwane and promote Molefi Ntseki was a sound one, it is certain that it was the easiest and least ambitious option. Instead of paying the high salary and bowing to the demands of a big-name coach, Kaizer Chiefs gave Ntseki his first-ever head coaching role in top-flight club football. When that decision backfired and a change was made in October after just 13 matches, they again simply appointed the nearest employee instead of searching for the right man. Effectively, they were already writing off their season to some degree when there was plenty to salvage from it with 21 league matches still to play! Even clubs like Richards Bay, Cape Town City, Stellenbosch FC and Sekhukhune United allow their head coach to have more than one assistant coach (and that’s not to mention Mamelodi Sundowns or Orlando Pirates). Either there is a second assistant in place at those clubs or there are technical staff working in the background besides just a head coach, one assistant, a goalkeeping coach and conditioning staff, like we see at Amakhosi. Ernst Middendorp was not allowed to bring his chosen extra assistant and Gavin Hunt arrived alone into the lion’s den. It’s imperative for Chiefs to give the new coach the full and complete technical team of his choice.
