Chiefs’ woes run deeper than coaching blues
Some players are duds – McGregor
Kaizer Chiefs’ sacking of Ernst Middendorp and his deputy Shaun Bartlett has triggered a debate with many arguing that the rot runs deeper than the coaches, questioning certain players’ contributions amid the team’s five-year trophy drought.
Middendorp was shown the door with immediate effect on Wednesday, just four days after Amakhosi had tumbled in the title race and were pipped to the title by Mamelodi Sundowns on the last day of the season. Bartlett’s dismissal was confirmed yesterday. The duo had joined the Soweto giants in December 2018, with each penning two-and-a-halfyear deals.
Middendorp is the third coach to be fired at Naturena since the club won its last piece of silverware, the league title in the 2014/15 season under Stuart Baxter.
Steve Komphela succeeded Baxter in July 2015, but failed to deliver silverware, quitting on the spot after a 2-0 defeat against Free State Stars in the Nedbank Cup semifinals in Durban in April 2018 that sparked fan violence.
After Komphela, Patrick Mabedi temporarily steered the ship until Giovanni Solinas joined in July 2018. The Italian was out of his depth and was sacked five months later.
All these coaches have come and gone, but the situation has hardly improved. As much as some of these aforementioned tacticians were not good enough, the fact that even after their exit Chiefs have remained the same trophystarved side, indicates there’s an ignored element prolonging the trophy drought.
Players such as Bernard Parker, Willard Katsande, Eric Mathoho and even fan favourite Itumeleng Khune have dropped their standards over the past few years, yet the club hasn’t seen fit to release them.
Truth be told, signing average players such as Edmore Chirambandare, Godfrey Walusimbi and James Kotei has made matters worse as well. These players had to be released hurriedly after Chiefs realised they were mediocre.
Chiefs legend Shane McGregor has echoed the sentiment that the rot runs deeper than coaches.
“The proper mess is that the majority of the players are not Chiefs material,” he said.
“I can’t name them, but about seven players are too poor to play for Chiefs. Yes, the past coaches were not good enough, but the players are also mediocre. If they win that appeal [in the Court of Arbitration for Sport ] they must start to sign good players.’’
Chiefs’ CAS appeal was heard on Wednesday and they are awaiting the outcome. Amakhosi were handed a twowindow transfer ban by Fifa after they were found to have illegally signed Madagascan international Dax Andrianarimanana, who was contracted to Fosa Juniors in his home country in 2018.
Having led from their second game of the season, a 1-0 win over Black Leopards in August last year, Chiefs surrendered the title via drawing 1-1 with Baroka, while Sundowns beat Leopards 3-0 on the final day.