Kaizer Chiefs have recently appointed Molefi ntseki as their head coach, but have they made the right choice? Asks Mazola Molefe.
Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi was the heavy favourite to land the hot seat at Kaizer Chiefs and replace the inexperienced Arthur Zwane. But the Glamour Boys surprised their fans by confirming Molefi Ntseki, the head of technical- and youth development, as the new man elevated to being in charge ahead of the 2023/24 season.
What about Zwane? Demoted to his former role as assistant, as he was during the short reigns of Gavin Hunt and Stuart Baxter.
Ntseki has had his credentials questioned, but what are the genuine trade-offs of having hired the former Bafana Bafana coach?
THE PROS
NOT NEW TO CHIEFS
After Ntseki’s spell with the national team was cut short on the back of a disastrous Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign in 2021, he was roped in at Naturena, initially to become Baxter’s assistant.
But he was later appointed as the head of technical development, tasked with finding a playing identity for the Glamour Boys.
This means the veteran coach has been able to see under the bonnet, assess and make up his own mind on the way forward to try improving on Zwane’s fifth-place finish in the DStv Premiership. Ntseki will not start from scratch – he was also involved in the recruitment of players who have now signed for Chiefs this season.
A LOCAL COACH
Whether Chiefs fans like it or not, Nabi – or any other candidate, for that matter – would have had to pick up the pieces, which requires some patience.
That Ntseki is a South African coach gives him a slight edge, though it is hard to ignore that both Zwane and Hunt are locals too, but experienced a failure to launch while in charge.
In trying to convince Ntseki to remain part of his technical team at Bafana, his successor Hugo Broos argued “the man is a walking encyclopaedia” of SA football, which would have been a big boost to have on his backroom staff while adjusting to the new job at hand.
His wealth of knowledge has always been Ntseki’s strong point as a youth-development coach and at national level.
PICKED BY THE BOARD
The decision to announce Ntseki as the new head coach at Chiefs will have been ratified by the board, led by chairman Kaizer Motaung.
It is no secret Motaung is a huge admirer of Ntseki’s; it is believed he was at the forefront of getting him to Amakhosi as the head of technical in the first place, and agreeing to him taking over would not have been a hard sell.
Ntseki will be confident starting a new journey knowing he is backed by the club supremo himself, though still aware it means he must deliver.
THE CONS
LACK OF PSL EXPERIENCE
The biggest concern from any point of view on Ntseki’s appointment is the fact that he has never been a head coach at a top-flight club.
Of course, the Bafana job is one of the most coveted on the continent and often attracts high-profile names, so that’s a plus for Ntseki.
But he was always viewed as a last resort following the resignation of Baxter, who still had three more years on his contract.
That Ntseki oversaw an AFCON campaign that culminated in the national side losing to lowly Sudan when a draw would have been enough gave credence to the argument that he was never the man for the job in the first place.
Besides a stint as an assistant coach to Clinton Larsen at the now defunct Bloemfontein Celtic, there exists no record of Ntseki as a stand-alone coach at a Premier League club – and that is a worry.
Nabi won two successive trebles at Yanga before leaving.
NOT A POPULAR CHOICE WITH THE FANS
The Chiefs hierarchy knows Ntseki is already on the back foot, so delaying communication on the future of Arthur Zwane (left) and then catching supporters off guard by announcing Ntseki was bizarre.
Talks with Nabi were at an advanced stage, too, but even during that time, Chiefs spokesperson Vina Maphosa told Radio 2000 that Chiefs were not contemplating removing Zwane after his first year.
Considering their misgivings about Ntseki, the only way to win the fan base over is to not just hit the ground running, but go all the way in the MTN8 tournament, a scene setter for the rest of the season.
NTSEKI HID IN THE BACKGROUND
The idea behind unveiling Zwane, Ntseki and Dillon Sheppard at the same time last year was that the trio would coexist.
But with time passing, the head of technical development faded into the background, and was hardly involved in first-team affairs as Zwane’s tenure slowly imploded.
Yes, one of the pros is that Ntseki has already been there since 2021, but – almost equally so – the fact that there was a disconnect with the senior team now makes for an awkward working arrangement with Zwane as his second- in-command.
Photo by Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
