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Bobby Motaung reveals new Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane’s mandate

Kaizer Chiefs' football manager Bobby Motaung, left, congratulates Arthur Zwane on his appointment as head coach while head of technical Molefi Ntseki, second left, and sporting director Kaizer Motaung Junior look on at the press conference to announce Zwane's appointment.
Kaizer Chiefs' football manager Bobby Motaung, left, congratulates Arthur Zwane on his appointment as head coach while head of technical Molefi Ntseki, second left, and sporting director Kaizer Motaung Junior look on at the press conference to announce Zwane's appointment.
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Kaizer Chiefs' football manager Bobby Motaung has revealed the “clear mandate” given to the club’s new head coach Arthur Zwane and his assistant Dillon Sheppard.

Zwane and Sheppard were announced as the new technical team that will be expected to restore Amakhosi's glory days in a press conference at FNB Stadium on Thursday. The duo, who had done the job on an interim basis in the final four games of the 2021-22 season, take over after Stuart Baxter was sacked in April.

Motaung said while the club will be patient with the young local coaches, winning trophies is their mandate for the 2022-23 season.

“Fortunately, Arthur and Dillon have been part of what we are trying to achieve,” Motaung said. “I mean we lost out in the final of the [2020-21] Champions League with them, we lost out in cups, the league and all those things, so they know the challenges that we are facing.

“There’s a [seven-year] trophy drought and supporters are looking forward to achieving something. So, it’s a continuation — they are coming into a system they have been part of.

“And it’s about success, achieving and winning trophies. That’s one of the reasons we decided to keep them and let them lead because they’ve raised their hands and they know what we are facing.”

Chiefs have not enjoyed silverware success since the 2014-2015 season when they won the league and MTN8 under Baxter in his first stint with the club. It was the second league and cup double in three years under the Briton.

Baxter's return to Chiefs was far less conspicuous as the ex-Bafana Bafana coach appeared to battle to bond with his squad, and frustrated Amakhosi's management with a reluctance to field promising young prospects during a rebuilding phase.

Baxter's transition game plan has never been popular in SA football, and Amakhosi have tasked the new coaches with bringing back a style of play more in keeping with the culture of the club.

“They are on a mandate that’s clear — win trophies, bring back the style of Chiefs and make supporters happy,” Motaung said.

The club has promised to support Zwane and Sheppard by bringing in the right players — who are expected to be announced in the next few days. Motaung said the two coaches have been heavily involved in the recruitment of the players.

He said he believed there were no better options available for Chiefs' head coaching hot seat than Zwane, as he eats, sleeps and breathes the organisation he has served for 22 years.

“We made the decision to appoint Arthur Zwane because he has been through the mill. He was a Chiefs player and graduated to being an assistant coach, and then went back to being a development coach. He upskilled himself with qualifications and came back to the first team and worked with different coaches as an assistant. He has learnt a lot from different challenges over the years.

“We felt that getting someone new was going to be a culture change and a shock. We thought, 'Let’s continue with the people who are inside the club and who are qualified and can make changes'.”