Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Arthur Zwane says he will accept the opportunity to become permanent boss at Naturena if given the opportunity, adding he is ready to grow into the role after years at the club.

Zwane, along with Dillion Sheppard, have stepped in to take control of the team until the end of the season following Stuart Baxter’s sacking a couple of weeks ago.

However, despite enjoying great success when they filled the same roles at the back end of the 2020-21 season stepping in for the departed Gavin Hunt, this time around it has been more difficult.

Amakhosi have seen their hopes of a second-place finish dashed in the past couple of weeks with four successive losses, but this hasn’t stopped Zwane from thinking about the future as top boss at the Soweto giants.

“If the opportunity to coach the team comes, why not?” Zwane said. “We all want to grow as coaches and what is the point of being with the team for so many years and, when I am given the responsibility, I shy away.

“Who else should take this responsibility? The situation we are in right now shouldn’t be us trying to hit the ground running. It is not going to work because we have done that for many years as a club.

“We have to rebuild, we have to start afresh, bring the right people in in terms of technical staff and playing personnel, because there is so much that we need to work on right now.

“The sooner we do that as a club, the better because things will be back to normal. If you are going to do this thing of saying, let’s look for someone who will hit the ground running, it is still going to have challenges.

“We are going to bring in new players who don’t know the set-up, the environment and the pressure that comes with the responsibility of playing for this club.

“Also, the person who will come in doesn’t know so many other things. Kaizer Chiefs is a beast, it is not just another club, it needs someone who knows it very well. If the opportunity is granted, I will grab it with both hands and make sure we bring the glory back.”

Chiefs are fifth in the league standings and six points ahead of second-placed Marumo Gallants, which they host at FNB Stadium on Tuesday.