Kaizer Chiefs have continued the restructuring of their technical team under new head coach Fernando da Cruz, announcing the arrival of French goalkeeper coach Olivier Sorin ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Sorin steps into Naturena to replace Ilyes Mzoughi, who recently departed the club. Mzoughi is set to reunite with former Amakhosi head coach Nasreddine Nabi at Moroccan powerhouse Raja Casablanca.
The new goalkeeper trainer, Sorin, arrives in South Africa boasting an elite European pedigree. Over the past decade, the French tactician has played a key role in shaping the careers of top-tier international goalkeepers, including former Chelsea star Édouard Mendy and Steve Mandanda.
Sorin put pen to paper on a two-year contract with the Soweto giants, which includes an option to extend for a further year. Before moving to Naturena, Sorin spent 12 years at French Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennais. He joined the club as a player in 2014, before transitioning into a senior technical role as the first-team goalkeeper coach in 2017 following his retirement from professional football.
REPLACING MZOUGHI: OLIVIER SORIN PENS CHIEFS DEAL
At Chiefs, he inherits a goalkeeping department that saw big improvement under the stewardship of Mzoughi. The departing coach worked intensely with the club’s defensive unit, including Bruce Bvuma, Takalani Mazhamba, Fiacre Ntwari, and Brandon Petersen.
Despite a gruelling 2025/26 campaign, the impact of Mzoughi’s training methods were undeniable.
In a standout individual campaign, Brandon Petersen enjoyed a spectacular transformation, keeping an astonishing 18 clean sheets across all competitions. His domestic exploits yielded 15 clean sheets in the league, alongside an additional three during Amakhosi’s CAF Confederation Cup run.
Petersen’s stellar club form saw him named in Hugo Broos’ preliminary Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though he narrowly missed out on the final selection that recently scripted history by reaching the tournament’s knockout stages.
THE FERNANDO DA CRUZ ERA TAKES SHAPE WITH OLIVIER SORIN ARRIVAL
The arrival of the former Stade Rennais goalkeeper coach on Thursday further highlights the dawn of a fresh tactical chapter at Naturena. The new-look technical team is taking shape with Fernando da Cruz firmly at the wheel.
Da Cruz is flanked by assistants Mahmoud Abbas and Dillon Sheppard. The technical setup is further bolstered by sports science expert Julien Le Heran, who continues to lead the club’s high-performance and conditioning portfolio.
“Kaizer Chiefs have appointed Olivier Sorin as the Club’s new goalkeeper coach. He has signed a two-year contract with an option for a further year,” reads the club statement.
“The former professional goalkeeper, now a seasoned coach, holds a UEFA Goalkeeper A Licence. Over the past decade, Sorin has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of several international goalkeepers, including Édouard Mendy, Steve Mandanda, Doğan Alemdar, among many others.
“Born in France, Sorin has now arrived in South Africa to join the Amakhosi technical team, which will be led by newly appointed head coach Fernando da Cruz.”
RELATED STORY: Dillon Sheppard appointed Kaizer Chiefs second assistant coach under Da Cruz