Former Kaizer Chiefs coach and current AmaZulu FC mentor, Arthur Zwane, has offered his assessment of his former club, sharing his thoughts on the Soweto giants’ progress since his departure from the club.
Zwane, a man who dedicated over two decades to Chiefs as both a player and a coach in various capacities, was speaking after his AmaZulu troops held Amakhosi to a 1-1 draw in a Betway Premiership clash at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
His stint as the head coach at Chiefs spanned the 2022/23 season. But following a series of disappointing results that culminated in fan unrest and objects being thrown onto the pitch, he was demoted to the assistant coach role under then-newly appointed head coach Molefi Ntseki. His descent continued, as he was later moved to head up the club’s academy.
In a surprise move that ended his long association with the Soweto giants, Zwane left Chiefs and joined AmaZulu in October 2024. He initially came in as a co-coach alongside Vusumuzi Vilakazi, but following the latter’s departure in February 2025, Zwane took over as the sole head coach.
ARTHUR ZWANE GIVES HIS HONEST TAKE ON KAIZER CHIEFS’ PROGRESS
Zwane has acknowledged the noticeable improvement in Chiefs’ style of play under the new leadership—a tenure that saw Amakhosi break their decade-long trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup last season with coach Nasreddine Nabi at the helm.
Despite his initial reluctance to discuss Chiefs’ matters, Zwane spoke highly of the team’s evolution, particularly praising the performance of players he helped develop.
“I don’t want to talk about Kaizer Chiefs matters but to be quite honest Chiefs are playing well, we saw it tonight [Wednesday], they are playing well,” said the Usuthu coach.
“They have progressed and it is always nice to see some of your players like Mduduzi Shabalala and [Nkosingiphile] Ngcobo [Mshini]—and I think Mshini [on Wednesday night against AmaZulu] showed his quality. These are the products of Kaizer Chiefs, and when they play at some point, it is going to benefit the team.”
Zwane also reflected on his own tenure at the Soweto giants, adding, “When I was there, that time, there was a plan anyway but obviously that’s football when things are not going well it’s all about results so the coaches are doing very well.”
Meanwhile, Zwane’s extensive history at Chiefs also included a stint as an assistant coach under Vladimir Vermezovic until 2012. Following this, he dedicated himself to the club’s development structures, where he was instrumental in nurturing top South African talent like Mduduzi Shabalala, Njabulo Blom, Siyabonga Ngezana, and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo.
He later returned to the senior team setup, serving as an assistant alongside experienced figures such as Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter, and Ntseki.
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