Thursday, former Kaizer Chiefs defender Siphiwe Mkhonza has weighed in on the criticism head coach Arthur Zwane has been receiving over his team’s recent lacklustre performances.
Zwane has been under fire from some sections of the Amakhosi faithful after the team lost three consecutive matches without scoring a goal, culminating in a 1-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns. During this run, the Glamour Boys were embarrassed 4-0 by AmaZulu.
The centre-back pairing of Zitha Kwinika and Edmilson Dove has come in for particular criticism, with some accusing Zwane of favouritism for persisting with the duo in the heart of defence despite their mistakes.
Mkhonza, however, believes that Zwane is simply sticking with the players he had an influence in the club signing. “Me I’m different, the favouritism part I cannot even go deeper into it because every coach has his own players that he believes in, it’s got nothing to do with favouritism,” Mkhonza said on SA FM Sport On.
“Yes, the likes of Kwinika, Edmilson Dove, they have not performed, let’s be honest. But again remember Arthur is his own man, isolatedly so. He’s got his own beliefs on the players that he really wants. Remember Arthur had a huge influence in the incoming and outgoing players at Kaizer Chiefs,” he said.
“I think he had an influence on ‘sign Kwinika, sign Du Preez, sign that person’, that’s why he’s using those players. It’s how he wants Chiefs to play, his way because he signed the players he wants,” he added.
Kaizer Chiefs will be looking to win and score for the first time this year when they host bogey side Royal AM on Sunday evening at Peter Mokaba Stadium.
