Mngqithi’s Prospects at Chiefs Diminished?

As the search for a permanent successor to Molefi Ntseki continues at Kaizer Chiefs, the Glamour Boys could be forced to return to the formula of hiring foreign coaches that worked in the club’s successful years.

In the past, Amakhosi management, particularly chairman Dr. Kaizer Motaung, was criticized for not having faith in local coaches. However, in 2015, Dr. Motaung relented and appointed Steve Komphela, but the coach could not replicate the success of his predecessor, a foreign coach, Stuart Baxter, and could not deliver any silverware in nearly three years at the club.

The most successful eras of the Glamour Boys were achieved with foreign coaches in charge and, in search of a new permanent coach, Chiefs could be inclined to narrow their search to foreign coaches. Former Amakhosi striker Robson Muchichwa believes foreign coaches carry a lot of weight behind their words and are not controlled by anyone at the Naturena-based side, hence they have been successful.

“Kaizer Chiefs have never done well with a local coach. I think the demands they tend to differ, when a foreign coach comes in, he comes in with a lot of weight and with a lot of saying, ‘This is what I want!’,” Muchichwa said on Radio 2000’s Game On. “Hence I think with the local coaches it’s not like that. The local coaches need to put a lot of weight behind ‘This is what I want’ and demand as well,” he said.

“For me looking at history, it’s maybe that way (that players at Chiefs respect foreign coaches more) or the foreign coaches are not being told by someone to do things. For me, I think there was a bit of friendship in employment (of coaches at Chiefs) and friendship doesn’t work, it has to be on merit. That’s the other thing that destroys the club I think,” he added.

Chiefs have been linked with the hiring of Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi, and their links with South African legendary coach Pitso Mosimane have continued, as revealed by the Siya crew. However, with the exception of Mosimane, who is now an international coach, the failures of local coaches such Ntseki and Arthur Zwane at Amakhosi recently could force the club to revert back to what has worked for them in the past, by hiring a foreign coach.

Foreign coaches linked with the Amakhosi job so far include former Wydad Casablanca coach Sven Vandenbroeck, English coach Paul Smalley, and the name of Tunisian coach Nasraddine Nabi, who had failed talks with Chiefs in the off-season, as reported by the Siya crew, continues to be bandied about.