If this does not scream incompetence, then I do not know what will.
(l-r) Faiz Abrahams, Mfundo Vilakazi and Luke Baartman of Kaizer Chiefs before the Betway Premiership 2026/27 match against Stellenbosch FC at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 13 October 2026 ©Phakamisa Lensman/Backpagepix
I know that when it comes to Kaizer Chiefs, things are always blown out of proportion because of the stature of the club. However, the latest blunder involving Faiz Abrahams is an embarrassment of monumental proportions that raises serious questions about the club’s internal communication and management.
Chiefs must hold someone accountable
Someone needs to be held accountable because this unfortunate episode disadvantaged the technical team ahead of their Betway Premiership encounter against Stellenbosch FC.
It cannot be business as usual when someone within the management structure fails to inform the coaching staff that Abrahams, who is on loan from Stellenbosch, cannot play against his parent club. These are the kinds of administrative details that should be dealt with long before matchday, not moments before kick-off.
Abrahams was initially named in the starting XI for Tuesday’s encounter against Stellies before a comedy of errors resulted in his removal from the line-up, with Mduduzi Shabalala coming in as his replacement.
Amakhosi assistant coach Dillon Sheppard was left to explain the last-minute change before the game against the Cape Winelands outfit. He conceded that he did not know much about Abrahams’ situation and that the team had prepared for the match with him in the starting XI.
If this does not scream incompetence, then I do not know what will. Someone needs to take responsibility because there is very little room for these types of errors if Chiefs are serious about challenging for the league title this season.
The match eventually ended in a 1-1 draw, with Shabalala making the most of Abrahams’ misfortune by scoring the equaliser in the 58th minute after Stellenbosch had taken the lead shortly after the break.
An unnecessary adjustment
We will never know what might have happened had Abrahams started the game or how his late exclusion affected the coaches’ tactical approach. What we do know, however, is that Chiefs were forced to make an unnecessary adjustment at a crucial stage of their preparations.
Results elsewhere only made matters worse for Amakhosi. Their rivals in the top four, Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu, all picked up maximum points, while Chiefs stumbled to a draw at FNB Stadium in front of their home supporters.
The honest truth is that everyone at Naturena needs to be pulling in the same direction. Based on this latest embarrassment, there are legitimate questions about whether that is happening behind the scenes.
These seemingly small mistakes also risk eroding supporters’ trust in the people running the club. Chiefs appear to be moving at a frustratingly slow pace in their quest to restore the club to its former glory.
For Amakhosi to rejoin the elite and compete for major silverware, they need excellence across the board, from management and recruitment to the players and technical team. Every department must understand its responsibilities and deliver accordingly.
If something as straightforward as a loan agreement prohibiting a player from facing his parent club can be overlooked, it begs the question: what else might be slipping through the cracks, particularly in the highly competitive world of player recruitment?
Chiefs cannot afford to keep shooting themselves in the foot. Restoring the club to its rightful place requires more than ambition, it demands accountability and attention to detail.
