THE BIG CHIEF

Photos: BackpagePix | ANA By: Mihlali Baleka

Kaizer Chiefs would be well advised to appoint Arthur Zwane on a permanent basis to restore the Amakhosi’s identity.

ARTHUR Zwane has a fairly visible spread of grey hair even though he’s maintained his slim figure after retirement from playing the beautiful game.

He is likely to develop a further spread of grey in his goatee before the end of the season. It’s that time of the season where he gets to audition for a job that he’s likely not going to get – regardless of the potential he displays.

When Kaizer Chiefs expectedly sacked coach Stuart Baxter following a series of poor results, controversial remarks and decisions, they once again turned to assistants Zwane and Dillon Sheppard until the end of the season.

This is not uncharted territory for the duo. After Gavin Hunt was fired towards the end of last season, it was Zwane and Sheppard, in their roles as interim coaches, that steered Chiefs to the top eight and CAF Champions League final.

Zwane led from the front, while Sheppard was happy to play the secondary role. That was expected, given that the former knows the culture and history of the club like the back of his hand.

He also played for Amakhosi, remember?

But no, it’s that he’s a club legend that makes ‘10111’ stand out. The Uefa B coaching licence Irish FA student, and classmate of Sheppard, knows the building blocks that Amakhosi need to lay so that they can become great once again.

Close followers of the Reserve League have looked on attentively as Zwane always urged his charges to never focus on the results, but rather play “the Chiefs way”.

Zwane’s passion for mastering basics and playing attractive football were more important than winning trophies. When his team won the Diski Shield by beating Mamelodi Sundowns, his game plan had everything: structure, flair, hunger and goals.

And when he took charge of Chiefs’ senior team late last year, where they won two games and lost one during Baxter’s battle with Covid-19, the team arguably played some of their best football.

He reiterated this ideology despite the recent Premiership loss to Stellenbosch FC under his stewardship.

“We need to play with flair – we’re Kaizer Chiefs and there must be an identity,” Zwane said

“Players must know our style of play and how we want to win games. We shouldn’t be about winning for the sake of winning.”

Zwane was also responsible for the development of Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, the current darling of the club, Sabelo Radebe, Happy Mashiane and others. It was a ground-breaking statement that if Chiefs believed in their youngsters, they wouldn’t have to buy in the near future.

Flashes of that were slowly bursting into life under Hunt, given that he was forced to tap into Chiefs’ youth structures, due to the club enduring a one-year long transfer ban.

However, during Baxter’s reign, the youngsters were once again pushed to the sidelines.

And although Zwane and Sheppard lost their first game at the Danie Craven Stadium, the time may have finally arrived for Chiefs to make the big call.

Otherwise, they may well be back here next season, asking Zwane and Sheppard to finish another season after firing the new coach.

Arthur Zwane has led from the front, while Dillon Sheppard has been happy to play the secondary role.

RIGHT: Zwane knows the culture and history of the Amakhosi like the back of his hand.

FAR RIGHT: Zwane is responsible for the development of youngsters Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Happy Mashiane.