Willard Katsande

How heavy will the Kaizer Chiefs armband weigh on the new stand-in skipper?

With goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune ruled out for the rest of the season, the Kaizer Chiefs captain’s armband was handed to battlehardened midfielder Willard Katsande, who is now into his eighth season with the Soweto giants. The Zimbabwean must now complete a season in which Amakhosi have changed coaches mid-term and will be seeking to avoid a fourth consecutive year without silverware. KICK OFF’s Lovemore Moyo looks at the challenges the new Chiefs skipper is facing.

Willard Katsande has never been one to charm with his skills, but has instead cemented his place at Kaizer Chiefs by way of commitment and hard work. He is neither fancy nor flashy in doing his duties, but always knows how to get the job done effectively, taking no prisoners in his line of duty. Granted, he often gets little appreciation from many in the stands, but his worth is best understood by coaches which explains why he has been at Naturena for almost eight years, playing just as much football through that period as Itumeleng Khune, the man from which he deputises in wearing the armband. For all the solid shifts he has put in, the 33-year-old now has the added weight of carrying the team for the remainder of this campaign. Minus Khune – who is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury – Katsande must now lead from the front as captain in the pursuit to avoid the disappointment of a fourth barren campaign. The hard-tackling midfielder has no qualms in leading one of the most popular clubs on the continent, but exactly how he will do it, and what measure of success he will have, remains a constant talking point among fans, with Chiefs desperate to land any piece of silverware on offer. “He will definitely do it,” says fellow countryman Tinashe Nengomasha of Katsande’s willingness to carry the pressure of being the stand-in skipper. Just like Katsande, Nengomasha was forever a battle warrior who never hesitated to give everything from the moment he stepped onto the greens in every encounter in which he featured through his decade spent at Chiefs. Though now retired, the former Chiefs hardman still speaks in the same way he used to play. “For Willard, the aim is to always stay focused, motivated and inspired because without that I don’t see any captain surviving to carry the team, especially at Chiefs where you carry the hopes of a magnitude of fans, family along

with friends,” Nengomasha says. “He really needs to enjoy what he is doing because as long as you enjoy yourself, then all else falls into place. However, if there is this kind of pressure that makes you not enjoy what you are doing, then you won’t be able to perform the right way because your mind, spirit and body are all not happy. You have to be happy first to enjoy every challenge that comes with wearing the armband at Chiefs. “In leading the team for the rest of the season, there are still trophies to play for, so there are still opportunities to lead the team to silverware. That is the beauty about being a skipper at Chiefs: you always have something to play for and there is always the prospect of lifting a trophy, so there are huge motivating factors he needs to fulfil now in leading the team. I’m confident he will do it.” Katsande will be at the forefront at a time when Chiefs have done what is uncharacteristic of them – changing coaches midway through the season after dumping Giovanni Solinas and bringing back Ernst Middendorp for his second stint in charge. Khune’s injury has also come at a time when there has been general instability in the team as well, yet in performing his duties, it is hoped that Katsande will dilute this strain. “You know the saying, ‘wherever there are problems, there is always an opportunity’,” reasons Nengomasha. “Maybe the situation that is there is actually Willard’s opportunity to show that he can do well in such testing circumstances. The advantage for Willard is that he is a national team player who has played at the Nations Cup finals, so we are talking about someone experienced enough to deal with the kind of situation the team finds itself in. The experience from the national team will come in handy here, plus he is a seasoned player who knows the ups and downs of football. Katsande is someone who understands very well that the team hasn’t been doing so well, so he will need to use his experience of having played big games at Chiefs and having won trophies before to help the team in the direction he knows the ship should head. “At the end of the day, this is a good opportunity for him to keep showing his worth. He has proven already that he can do the job for Chiefs, but being captain now is a different challenge because in as much as you need to play, you also need to lead. This is an opportunity for him to show that he can be a leader in the absence of Itumeleng Khune.” The impact made by Katsande over the years is without doubt, even through the phase when he was targeted by referees, always choosing to maintain his cool and give his all in all the games he plays. His tenacity has now left the midfielder as an “elder” at Chiefs, where he now stands as the oldest member of the squad. Just like Nengomasha, Eddie Dinha is just as familiar with what Katsande is faced with at present, having worn the armband at both Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town during his playing days. “It is obviously a huge responsibility taking over the leadership of the team when there is a new coach and with the team where they are,” says Dinha. Though still in with a mathematical chance in the league, they will have to swim across oceans to end as champions, which leaves the Nedbank Cup as the only realistic target. “The positive is that he has been with the team for a very long time so he knows the culture and what is needed in this situation, just like he knows how to handle the demands that come with the pressure to get results,” Dinha says. “So this means he knows the consequences of being a captain, but I’m sure he will succeed.” The former Zimbabwe international feels the armband will inspire Katsande to keep his game on a high level as well. “If you play without an armband, you only look out for your own performance, but when you are the captain, it means when the chips are down, everyone looks at you because what the coaches tell you at training doesn’t always work out in a game,” he says. “As captain you must provide the solution on the field, considering you are the link to the technical team. When there is a player who needs a lift on the field, you are the person to get him up. As captain you also need to be someone that your teammates can also lift as well for the benefit of the team. “You are the point of reference as captain, which is not only restricted to the field. How you present yourself outside matters as well because the players need to see someone they respect. It doesn’t matter how old you are; there has to be that sense of respect and freedom for them to approach you if ever there are any issues that need to be solved. There are always players who are shy to approach the coaches, so you should be the go-between. Your performance needs to be always up there so that everybody follows behind you. Being captain comes with responsibility which is why it shouldn’t be thrown at someone who doesn’t talk because that then becomes a problem. You’ve got to have the character to lead in that sense.” The unfamiliar trophyless spell which now stretches over almost four years is also an irritating issue that will constantly

be mentioned for the rest of the season as Katsande leads the team. “That comes with the territory,” interdicts Dinha, who is now running Shumba Football Development. “Obviously that is why it is a challenge to lead. You don’t need to doubt yourself, but rather know that you have to encourage the troops. You need to push them and give them the added belief. The need to win trophies is always pressure at Chiefs when you are the captain, especially right now. That is why you also need to be close to the coaches as well so that the load is spread around.” The progress that Katsande has made at Naturena since his surprise move from Ajax Cape Town almost eight years ago has been noticed by his former Urban Warriors teammate Hans Vonk. Vonk was in his last season as a player when Katsande arrived in Cape Town where the Zimbabwean struggled in the one and only season he spent with the Cape club, starting just four games all season before making a shock switch to Chiefs. “He has made huge strides considering that at Ajax he struggled to get into the starting XI as there wasn’t space for him in the midfield with George Maluleka and Granwald Scott the preferred options,” Vonk says. “Even though he wasn’t starting matches regularly, you could see at training that he was a player with a lot of potential. What I like about Willard is that he has remained very humble. If you are going to play regularly at Chiefs for eight years under that pressure to win games and trophies, then you must be very good. He deserves a lot of credit, so I think he can be a good captain as well,” encourages Vonk, who then offers a different opinion on the issue of captaincy. “Maybe the people in South Africa see it differently, but for me the captaincy is just an armband that gives you the right to shake hands with the referee and the opposition captain. A true leader of the team doesn’t have to wear an armband because he is always there for the team in times of need. I know that with or without the armband, Willard remains an influential player in the team. He doesn’t need an armband to perform. For me, being captain doesn’t say much. I know that at times in South Africa the captain is the most important player in the team, but I don’t think it is supposed to be like that because a captain is just one of the eleven. However, I’m sure Willard can handle the responsibility, even though it doesn’t make him another person or player.”