NKARENG MATSHE | Derby defeat could spell doom for Zwane

Despite assurances from management this week, Arthur Zwane’s position as Kaizer Chiefs head coach is increasingly precarious and, should another defeat follow in tomorrow’s Soweto Derby, one fears how the club’s fans will react. 

Last week’s scenes at Peter Mokaba Stadium, when Chiefs twice threw away the lead to lose to Golden Arrows, set the tone for probably an anxious clash against Orlando Pirates for Amakhosi, despite Chiefs having a great recent record against their rivals, with four wins in a row in this epic clash.

Even the more peaceful fans among the Chiefs brigade will have thrown profanities at the end of that 2-3 loss to Arrows, such was the meek capitulation of their side. But more worryingly for Zwane, suggestions that the match was lost solely from the bench, with questionable substitutions, did not help enhance his image.

It means he and his team enter FNB Stadium tomorrow with heightened self-doubt and probably some fear, given that Pirates have a better recent record, while Chiefs will be searching for only their second win in seven league games this year.

A record of four losses in their past six DStv Premiership games is, frankly, relegation form that could have triggered panic in more trigger-happy teams. Chiefs, though, this week again came to Zwane’s defence, with Kaizer Motaung jnr calling for patience and reasoning the project which began last May was taking shape.

But words of encouragement and reassurance can only take you so far. The more fans berate Zwane for poor results, the more even the Chiefs hierarchy wonder if they have not made another mistake when hiring a coach.

And there have been  glaring errors of judgment – the appointment of the hapless Giovanni Solinas in 2018 was undoubtedly their worst.

Zwane, a club legend who knows the ins and outs of systems in Naturena, was probably the most logical choice in order to correct those previous mistakes. But if his regime is floundering, he can’t be left out to dry while being chastised by fans who are increasingly developing resentment towards his regime. He should be assisted in one way or another before it’s too late; that is, before fans react in the same manner they did when Steve Komphela was forced out at Moses Mabhida Stadium in April 2018.

How about beefing up the technical team by adding another, experienced assistant coach to help Dillon Sheppard alongside Zwane?

Zwane has not fared too badly given that this is his first major job, and he’s had to overhaul the team almost completely while promoting youngsters such as Mduduzi Shabalala and Samkelo Zwane to the first team. But if results are not forthcoming, partly because of his own indecisiveness, his position becomes shakier by the day, and frustration and growls grow even louder in the terraces, as witnessed last week in Polokwane.

Of course an unlikely, heroic win similar to last October’s in the derby – meaningless as it is – could serve to quell any mutiny against Zwane’s regime. All would be forgiven as fifth-placed Amakhosi would have the same points as their supposedly more settled rivals in the log standings and stand a good chance of fighting for second spot.

But that wouldn’t mean Zwane’s tenure is now suddenly stable – it hasn’t been all season – which is the main point Chiefs management should be looking at rather than seek to paper over the cracks with platitudes. A derby win would provide momentary relief but defeat would deepen the crisis.