MATSHELANE MAMABOLO
KAIZER Chiefs need more than just a top notch coach if they are to bring back the glory days long since forgotten.
Trophy-less for nine seasons now, Amakhosi are believed to be on the verge of bringing Moroccan Nasreddine Nabi to take over the helm in the upcoming season. Nabi – who coaches Far Rabat – was supposed to have taken over at Chiefs last season when he was in charge of Tanzania’s Young Africans. That move did not happen because of an apparent disagreement with regards to him brining his own technical team. It would appear that the two parties have resolved that stumbling block.
Whoever they hire, a legend of the club agrees that Chiefs need a ‘big personality’ coach to take over and was actually of the view Pitso Mosimane – reported by many to be one of the club’s targets – would be the ideal candidate.
Brian Baloyi, former goalkeeper and captain of Chiefs, believes there needs to be drastic changes at management level out at Taung Village in Naturena for the club to get close to ending Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance of the domestic league.
“The club needs to look at itself holistically and it is clear to see that Bra K (chairman Kaizer Motaung) has gotten less involved and the results are there for all to see that there’s a leadership vacuum. The only way to fix the club is that he either gets more involved, or they need to appoint a proper leader,” said Baloyi, who starred for Chiefs for nearly a decade.
“When I look at the club, I see them needing to appoint a CEO, and it must not just be any CEO. Chiefs need a corporate bully type of leader, someone who will get in there and change things so drastically he will take them to the next level.”
And Baloyi does not see anyone currently at the club worthy of that role.
“They need to go out and look for that kind of leader, because they don’t have that within the club. They need to do something different. They need someone who will come in and instil discipline, introduce proper corporate governance and within football I don’t see anyone that can do that.”
According to the man they nicknamed Spiderman for his abilities in pulling off incredible saves during his playing days, the Motaung children who are running the club are not suited for the role.
“If we had to take a chance on any of them to be the chairman or CEO for a year, I am afraid there’s none I would take a chance on. For me, the chairman has to get involved and if he has taken a back seat, it is time for him to get more involved. If he is to retire, he needs to give himself a year or two and put all his energies into the club to bring back the glory days.”
And one way he can do that, Baloyi says, is to bring in people who have something to lose to run the club.
“Chiefs need to take themselves more seriously, there needs to be some growing up at the club. But that cannot happen in an environment where people are comfortable in their positions. When you are in a job and you know that you will not get fired you get to a point where you don’t care.
“So the club needs to hire people that know that ‘my head is on the block if I don’t deliver’. Right now, the only place in the club where that is happening is with coaches. It needs to be everywhere – Chiefs is a big brand, a corporate, and they need to run it like that. It’s the best way they are going to bring back the glory days and make the people who love them happy.”