What the Siya crew has been told…

Kaizer Chiefs are having a big call to make on Molefi Ntseki regarding his future and the club’s plans, Siya sources have indicated. In elevating the ex-Bloemfontein Celtic assistant coach to the head coach role, the club did not confirm if there were any changes made to his original deal which had one year remaining from the three years he signed for two years ago.

Having been part of the set-up, there have been hiccups for sure, but results leading up to the FIFA international break suggest that the team is moving in the right direction, and indications are that offering the coach a new contract is an idea that has been bandied about by the decision-makers at Naturena.

“The club is seeing a longterm working relationship with the coach. His work ethic has impressed the management and the way he has managed to blend the new players with the rest of the group is being commended. Against (Mamelodi) Sundowns (in the MTN8 first leg semi-final), Chiefs had a chance to win the game with how well they played. Those are the things that are being looked at and putting the coach in a favourable position for a long stay with the club,” revealed a source.

Compared to how the Soweto giants finished the 2022/23 campaign, the improvement is now starting to show, despite what appeared to be a wobbly start.

“There have been a lot of changes since the coach took over and there are positive signs for the club under his guidance. The players have upped their game and the way the team is playing has improved a lot compared to last season,” the source added.

“There is improvement in the results, which is the most important thing for any club or coach, and at the end of the day, everything will come down to the coach and he will be judged based on the results. What is noticeable though is that the team has started playing in a more structured way and as a unit with intention of getting the results consistently, and the club’s hierarchy is happy.

“This season, Chiefs go to games showing seriousness in wanting to get the results, unlike in the past. The coach has managed to make players like (Brandon) Petersen and others to believe in themselves again and it takes a leader to do so,” noted the mole.

“The new boy from Venezuela (Edson Castillo) is adjusting well and has done so well since he started playing, and that can be attributed to good coaching.”

Continuation of improved results will put Ntseki in an advantageous position so that Amakhosi look no further for a coach for next season and beyond, it has been confirmed by close sources.

“The assessment will be done as the season progresses and, in the end, they will look at the guy and the progress made and decide. So far, things are looking promising for him, and it is a step in the right direction for all the parties. This is a good coach and a good person with a good profile despite all that has been said about him since his appointment as the head coach,” the source said.

“This is a top professional who has been part of the Chiefs set-up and he knows the ins and outs of the club. The management wouldn’t have made the mistake of taking a chance on someone with no pedigree and surely his profile was thoroughly looked at in deciding to appoint him,” concluded the informant.