Heartfelt epistle to Kaizer Chiefs head coach

I’d like to take this moment to wish coach Zwane well as Chiefs head coach. He’s come a long way and I really commend the management for the confidence they’ve shown in appointing him. They’ve invested a lot in him, and it was about time that they ‘checked him out’. Quietly carving his niche in the Chiefs development ranks, having started coaching at his own team Galatasaray (amateur team in Soweto) concurrently while he was still an Amakhosi player, coach Arthur has come a long way and it’s no fluke that he’s ascended to hold the reigns at Naturena. He’s faced and came out tops against the great and much respected Tunisian coach Faouzi Benzarti, formerly of Wydad Casablanca. No easy task. I commend coach Arthur for raising his hand to be considered for the position. He certainly deserves all the respect and support that the management is giving him. It is also encouraging to see that the players have warmed up to him and are allowing him to take his rightful place at the training ground and the dressing room. I’m really encouraged by the unity amongst the senior and young players and the almost perfect acclimatization of the new players into the team. For coach Arthur and the Amakhosi faithful, this is very vital. I must also commend the spirit of enthusiasm and joyful mood flowing through in the camp, with the players seemingly dedicated to doing well and turning the fortunes of the team around. I hope that the challenges that the team faced previously – i.e. alcohol and ill-discipline – will be a thing of the past. The players in the Chiefs development structures (and also at other teams) have been highly inspired by coach Arthur’s promotion to the higher ranks and they can see that, with patience and hard work, indeed dreams are possible if you believe. Young players and coaches now see that it can also happen to them. Their energy levels are up and their commitment and hunger for success are at an all-time high. It’s good to see the domino effect of coach Zwane’s appointment. Well done also to Kaizer Motaung Jr. and Bobby Motaung for the support they are giving to Zwane. I hope the Amakhosi supporters will also follow through and rally behind their coach and give him the support he needs to restore the integrity of this big, magnificent club. Chiefs has been below par for too long and the club needs a reawakening. Coach Arthur is now at the helm, and we welcome and commend him as head coach. He is confident he will add value and do well with the team. He has said the right things with regards to taking the team forward, the playing style, the Chiefs type of player etc. He’s been there all the while and he knows what he’s talking about. Over 10 years as a player and over 10 years as a development coach is no child’s play. I’m rooting for him, and am confident he’ll do well. Please don’t be fooled by his quiet demeanour, as his humility can be mistaken for timidity. A calm person by nature, he is a winner, and he has the interests of Chiefs at heart. He is unfazed and not scared of anyone, and this is encouraging. He is under no illusions and knows the responsibility of the task ahead. I really wish him well and I hope that he achieves all that he sets out to achieve. I also wish that the local coaches in our league will refrain from being negative about each other as this sends a bad message about them. Success for coach Arthur at Chiefs is important in that it will help send a message that our own coaches can take our football to higher levels. Yes, we’ll disagree with him when situations call on us to do so, and hopefully, the coach will learn and take note, but we should never destroy one of our own when there are opportunities to correct and build him. We should, therefore, as a society in general, appreciate the rise of people like coach Arthur Zwane to senior positions and trust that they’ll honestly dedicate and apply themselves correctly to their given tasks. Let’s just do our best to help them succeed in those positions. In conclusion, I’d like to say: “Good luck to you, coach Arthur on your journey to taking this once-mighty club back to where it belongs. No one said it would be easy, but it has been a long time coming for you. You’ve been dirtying your hands in the dugout, learning all there is to learn about football and the Kaizer Chiefs way of playing in the development ranks and the senior team too. You’ve also knuckled down to learn and arm yourself with the relevant coaching qualifications. I watched you speak at the late Shoes Moshoeu’s funeral, and I knew then and there that a star was rising. Now is your time to lead the way, my brother. If you get it right, which I’m confident you will, the football history books will judge you greatly, for Kaizer Chiefs are an important institution of our football genetics and your name will be mentioned amongst the greatest achievers of our times. Our football needs a strong and competitive Chiefs because along with the other top teams, they are the barometer by which our football is measured. Trust me, I’ve played against that Kaizer Chiefs badge, and I knew what it meant then to have to come face-to-face with it. I don’t know what it means now for those who must face it on the playing field. So, Arthur, I wish you all the best, bro. I’ve listened to you speak about your plans on how you want to play, and I think you are up to something. Unleash it, coach. You will win, lose and draw some matches, that’s just football. I just wish you win most matches. There is your bed and it’s made for you, my brother. Wear your heart on your sleeve and show us what you’ve got, Mangethe. Trust me, this is no flattery from me, but it is my honest belief in you. Good luck to you and your club.” Linda Nkabinde, Zone 3 Meadowlands