Kaizer Chiefs have endured a disappointing stretch of seasons and certainly can’t afford to make a wrong decision on their next coaching appointment.
Fans and pundits alike are calling for a change at the helm – but not just any coach. In just two words, Amakhosi need a “Project Coach” to guide them from here. It can’t be anyone, regardless of their previous success.
Jürgen Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool in 2015 began a transformation that presents a perfect example. The club was struggling, having won only one trophy in the previous nine years. Klopp wasn’t immediately expected to win top titles, so he initiated his revitalisation project. Despite early setbacks, including losing three cup finals, he built a dominant team.
Under Klopp, Liverpool became a European powerhouse, winning five trophies and reaching nine finals. His influence is undeniable. He turned a faltering team into “mentality monsters” that could play an exciting, attacking style while maintaining a strong defence. This success places Klopp alongside legendary Liverpool coaches like Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly.
I suppose therein lies a good example of what the Once Mighty Glamour Boys need.
WHAT IS A PROJECT COACH?
A Project Coach goes beyond traditional coaching duties and immediate results. They possess a long-term vision and the expertise to fundamentally restructure a club. They are a visionary leader capable of:
Deep analysis: Identifying the root causes of the team’s struggles, from outdated tactics to poor player development.
Strategic planning: Creating a long-term roadmap for success, outlining player recruitment, training philosophies and a clear playing style.
Cultural transformation: Instilling a winning mentality throughout the club, fostering accountability and a relentless work ethic.
Youth development: A Project Coach understands that sustainable success begins with nurturing young talent. Besides just coaching the senior team, they also cast their eye on the youth academy and create a pathway to the senior team.
Tactical identity: This coach establishes a clear, recognisable style of play that aligns with the club’s history and values. This identity becomes the team’s hallmark.
Data-driven decisions: A Project Coach uses modern analytics to optimise scouting, player development, and on-field tactics.
WHY KAIZER CHIEFS NEED A TRANSFORMATION UNDER A NEW COACH
Chiefs’ current troubles aren’t the mere symptom of a bad season. There seems to be a deeper malaise within the club. A Project Coach would address these fundamental issues:
Inconsistent performances: Chiefs suffer from frustrating inconsistency, bouncing between promising performances and disappointing losses. The team lacks a clear identity, resulting in unpredictable results.
Tactical stagnation: Chiefs seem unable to adapt to modern footballing trends effectively. Players aren’t developing their skills, hindering individual and overall team growth.
Broken recruitment: A project coach can guide, with the help of scouting structures in alignment with the common vision, on what players fit the bill. In Chiefs’ case, poor player choices have left the squad unbalanced and lacking the quality needed to compete at the highest level.
Youth in limbo: Promising youngsters struggle to make the jump to the senior team, creating a gap between potential and reality.
Trophy drought: The ultimate measure of success – silverware – has eluded the Naturena-based club for far too long. This lack of trophies is a stark symbol of their need to change.
Chopping and changing coaches: The chopping and changing of coaches in recent seasons has not helped matters. A look at the men who have taken charge of this massive club shows you they are all different coaches with different approaches to the game. Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter, Arthur Zwane and Molefi Ntseki are different coaches.
A Project Coach wouldn’t just bring short-term fixes; they would guide the Soweto giants toward sustained dominance. The Amakhosi faithful deserve a return to their glory days, and a Project Coach is the key to unlocking their full potential.
WHO ARE SOME OF THE PROJECT COACHES KAIZER CHIEFS COULD CONSIDER?
While finding the right Project Coach is a challenge, here are a few names that could fit the bill:
Pitso Mosimane: South Africa’s most successful coach boasts a proven ability to build dominant teams, evident in his work with Mamelodi Sundowns. He laid the groundwork for their success, including six consecutive DStv Premiership titles.
Discipline and tactical astuteness are Mosimane’s trademarks. These qualities are exactly what Chiefs need to address their inconsistency and lack of a clear playing style. ‘Jingles’ even won the CAF Champions League with Sundowns just four years into the rebuild. He understands what it takes to win games at that level, having also lifted two African titles with Al Ahly. He has also been to the FIFA Club World Cup, a stage a club like Chiefs should be dreaming of.
Julien Chevalier: For six years, he was an academy manager at Asec Mimosas before working as assistant coach of the Togo national team in 2017. He returned to Asec to take over as head coach in 2019. Of course, it had not been a long drought for the Ivorian giants, as their last league title triumph had been in 2018.
The Frenchman turned them into a dominant force and guided them to three successive league titles from 2021. In 2023, they also won the Cote d’Ivoire Cup. This season, they went as far as the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League where they were knocked out by Tunisian giants Esperance.
RISKY BUT NECESSARY
Rui Vitoria: The Portuguese mentor is a bit of a difficult pick here. He found Benfica a well-oiled machine, sustaining their success during his four-year tenure with them. Vitoria led Benfica to a club record of 88 points in 34 matches during the 2015/16 Primeira Liga season.
He won the league title twice in his four seasons with them and finished second twice. His four-year stint with Vitória de Guimarães saw him guide them to participation in the Europa League. His best achievement in the Europa League was a third-round finish.
The appointment of a Project Coach is a risky but necessary investment. Fans must be patient, understanding that this is a long-term strategy. The potential reward? A Chiefs team that finally lives up to its legendary name and dominates South African football once more.
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