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By Sibongiseni Gumbi

Football Writer


Zwane moving Chiefs towards the right direction, but what happens after him? 

Chiefs have to decide whether to keep Zwane or get someone with more experience.


It is clear that Arthur Zwane was given the directive to redirect Kaizer Chiefs’ system and retain the playing style which looked to be headed away from the ‘Kaizer Chiefs way’ in the Stuart Baxter era.

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From the onset, Zwane has spoken on how he wants the team to go back and adopt the style that the club is known for – good entertaining football accompanied by positive results. 

Under Baxter, none existed. Zwane has been in charge for four games since the Brit was fired. It has been dreary for the Amakhosi fans to watch their team. They lost three games consecutively under Zwane’s tutelage – making it four in a row overall. But the display has been improving with ball players given more permission to use their natural skill and ability to help the team going forward. 

They have also started playing from the back – which has unfortunately backfired in some games with costly mistakes. One in particular was by Njabulo Ngcobo who was dispossessed in a dangerous place against Golden Arrows and they went on to score from there. 

But a hard fought win against a ball-playing Marumo Gallants on Tuesday may have been the right turn the team needed, especially with Mamelodi Sundowns up next for the Naturena side. 

From what is gathered from the whispers around Naturena, Zwane is on the right path and could be considered for a permanent role as coach. But there are those who are not too keen on it with his lack of experience seen as a hindrance. Also, if he is given the job and fails, he will have to be fired and the club will lose him while he is considered for a bigger role in the future as someone who knows and understands the culture of the club. 

Club spokeman Vina Maphosa wrote on his LinkedIn account this week in praise of Zwane. “Blessed to work with a process driven coach Zwane since I arrived at the club a decade ago,” wrote Maphosa. 

All this clearly puts the club’s management in a peculiar position where they have to decide whether to keep Zwane and give him full reign or get someone with more experience to help the club curb the eight years of drought.

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