Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brian Baloyi has discussed a crucial element he believes has been a major contributor to Amakhosi’s struggles, particularly last season.
Chiefs struggled in the Betway Premiership in the previous campaign, finishing in ninth place and also missing out on the next season’s MTN8 for the second time consecutively.
Meanwhile, their journey in the Carling Knockout Cup ended in December when they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, they ended the season with Nedbank Cup success, beating Orlando Pirates in the final, ending their 10-year trophy drought.
Baloyi is convinced that the challenges the Phefeni Glamour Boys have faced could be resolved by adding a local assistant coach to Nasreddine Nabi’s technical team.
The former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper highlighted how Mandla Ncikazi has been fundamental to Pirates’ success over the past two seasons alongside Jose Riveiro, explaining the vital role a knowledgeable local figure can play in the team.
BALOYI – ‘CHIEFS MUST BRING IN A LOCAL ASSISTANT COACH’
“I’ve been telling my friends this. People don’t respect the role that bra Mandla Ncikazi is playing at Pirates,” said Baloyi.
“That’s where I feel Chiefs are missing the point and don’t understand that role. We understand that most of our players come from townships and rural areas. Some of them can’t express themselves properly in English.
“When you have an assistant coach who’s local, they are able to speak to those players. A coach can speak in English, or even sometimes you have coaches who don’t even know English, you need a local coach to speak with in IsiZulu or Sesotho.
“People have to understand that our cultures are different as coaches and players. European coaches won’t understand that sometimes, in some of our cultures, when we grow, we grow up scared of a white person.
“When you bring this coach, he can’t express himself. It will take time for him to be able to express himself in a proper way. Sometimes people don’t understand that when a player joins Chiefs from, for example, Golden Arrows. When the player gets to Chiefs, he is coached by Ernst Middendorp, who’ll swear and shout at them, and the player can’t perform.
“So, if Chiefs keep a coach [Nasreddine Nabi], they must bring in a local assistant to be part of the technical team.”
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