‘Arthur Zwane is the right man for Kaizer Chiefs,’ says former defender

Kaizer Chiefs will have to come out and make the supporters understand that it will take more than just a few months for Arthur Zwane to return the team to its former glory days.

ALSO READ: Hunt in the dark about Gabuza’s future

This is the view of former Chiefs defender and now TV pundit Siphiwe Mkhonza on the pressure mounted on Zwane’s back as head coach at Naturena. 

Mkhonza says Zwane has a big job of dismantling years of bad workmanship in the Amakhosi setup before he can get them back to being the Kaizer Chiefs their supporters expect.

“Let us first start about Arthur’s appointment to the first team and being given three years,” said Mkhonza on SAfm’s Sport On with Thabiso Mosia this week. 

“I think the message from the board is very clear. They want Arthur to restore the culture, the tradition and the DNA of Kaizer Chiefs.”

He says the club should come out in public in support of Zwane to calm the supporters and make them understand the process.

“I think Kaizer Chiefs needs to come out and say that ‘this season we are just building’. 

“Also the senior scout of Chiefs needs to identify Chiefs players and not buy for the sake of buying. 

“That’s why Chiefs haven’t been getting results. They need to change the recruitment process.”

‘Wrong players, wrong coaches’

Mkhonza said Chiefs have over the years signed all the wrong players who brought the team nothing in return. 

“Over the years Chiefs have made dreadful errors in terms of the recruitment of players and even the coaches. 

“So, the thinking process of the board is that we want to restore the Kaizer Chiefs way… Chiefs have signed players who are not Chiefs material and that is why they struggled. 

“In the last seven transfer windows, before the three, Chiefs signed 35 players and of those only one was a success. 

“But he also was not even a success but he was signed as (Itumeleng) Khune’s understudy, and that is (Daniel) Akpeyi but he was also let go. 

“The investment on players has not been correct hence it affected how Chiefs play. Gavin Hunt is not a Kaizer Chiefs type of coach. 

“He is a results oriented coach. (Ernst) Midderndorp is similar to him. But Middendorp had a brief stint where he understood the identity and culture of Kaizer Chiefs. 

“But the players who are there now (are not coping). The pressure and the demand that comes with playing for Kaizer Chiefs I think they don’t understand.” 

Mkhonza insists that Zwane is the right man for the job and will eventually get it right and return Amakhosi to their glory days of beautiful football and winning trophies. 

“I’m not buying Arthur’s face but I still think he’s the right candidate. But he needs help around him. 

“If you look at coaches around the world, they surround themselves with experienced people because that seat is hot and he’s not yet experienced enough.”