Kaizer Chiefs’ inconsistency on and off the pitch will continue if things don't change

COMMENT

Kaizer Chiefs’ biggest battle isn’t with their opponents on the pitch — it’s with themselves. Until the club fixes their internal disarray, moments of progress like Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup win will remain fleeting.

Amakhosi returned to winning ways on Sunday at a packed Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto, after beating AS Simba 3–1 to progress to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. But be that as it may, not all is well at the club.

They remain coachless after deciding to part ways with head coach Nasreddine Nabi due to issues of mistrust and coaching licenses, replacing him with his former assistant coaches, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, until the end of the season.

The retention of Kaze and Ben Youssef was questionable. If Chiefs no longer wanted Nabi, they should have let him go along with the rest of his technical team, especially considering that it was the head coach who brought in his backroom staff.

Sure, Kaze and Youssef are qualified coaches in their own right with adequate credentials, but they don’t fit the role or character of the coach that Chiefs need. Chiefs need someone with a strong track record and a big personality befitting the club’s calibre.

While Nabi and his technical team ended the club’s 10-year trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup last season, the fact that Chiefs last won the Betway Premiership over a decade ago – and sometimes even fail to finish in the top eight, as they did in the last two seasons – is unacceptable.

The instability doesn’t stop there.

Over the last two games, Kaze has been calling the shots alone in the dugout, with Ben Youssef reportedly back home in Morocco. That has set tongues wagging, especially given that when Nabi was initially suspended, he also went home without any official communication from the club.

Kaze has yet to command the support and respect of some of the Amakhosi faithful as well. Some see him merely as the “interpreter” who was brought in to assist Nabi, who conducted most of his interviews in French.

Leadership at Chiefs also seems to be lacking. At first, Inacio Miguel was announced as captain this season, taking over from Yusuf Maart. But the Angolan has since stepped back from his duties, handing over the armband to Zitha Kwinika.

While Kwinika appears to be leading by example on the field, he doesn’t have a commanding personality among his teammates. In a league clash with Marumo Gallants, Miguel and Sibongiseni Mthethwa clashed – an ugly sight, considering both should be setting the standard for others.

The performances of some players haven’t improved either. Ashley du Preez has missed numerous chances when it seemed easier to score. Given that Chiefs are struggling for goals up front, that kind of wastefulness is hard for supporters to forgive.

The season hasn’t even reached the halfway point, yet Chiefs already find themselves having to focus on the league, the Nedbank Cup, and the Confederation Cup after missing out on the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout.

As if being out of the Carling Knockout wasn’t enough, goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari’s apparent refusal to be replaced by Bruce Bvuma for penalties was embarrassing for the technical team.

Chiefs will return to domestic football when they face Durban City in a league clash on Friday, and their supporters will expect them to snap their winless streak. Failure to do so would only reinforce the growing belief that betting on Chiefs to be inconsistent- both on and off the pitch – is a safe bet.