Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has opened up on the Soweto giants’ relationship with footballers from the neighbouring country, Zimbabwe.
Over the years, Amakhosi have made the COSAFA member a hunting ground for talent, arguably more than other PSL teams. Most of the imported players managed to establish themselves as household names in South Africa.
From Ebson ‘Sugar’ Muguyo, the first Zimbabwean man to play for Amakhosi in the club’s formative years in the 1970s, to Khama Billiat, the last player to be in the books of Chiefs, some rich history was cultivated.
Forgotten names such as Hussein Amidu and Liberty Masunda also turned out for the Soweto giants together with the likes of Bheki Mlotshwa and Luke Jukulile. But players who became more prominent at Naturena include 2003/04 PSL Footballer of the Season Tinashe Nengomasha, Knowledge Musona and Billiat.
There was a period where there was a proliferation of Zimbabwean players at Chiefs, with Onismor Bhasera, Thomas Sweswe, Willard Katsande, Kingston Nkhatha, Matthew Rusike, Zhaimu Jimmy Jambo, Ovidy Karuru, Michelle Katsvairo, Abbas Amidu, Lincoln Zvasiya, Edmore Chirambadare and Teenage Hadebe arriving at the club.
It was an era where football fans threw jibes at Chiefs that these players are cheap, such that the club would “buy one and get one for free.” However, there is currently no Zimbabwean player at Amakhosi.
BOBBY MOTAUNG EXPLAINS WHY KAIZER CHIEFS PREFER ZIMBABWEAN PLAYERS
“I think the professionalism and the quality of Zimbabwean players resonate with Kaizer Chiefs. The culture, the humility they have, the respect they have and also the respect for the badge,” said Bobby Motaung at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Saturday.
“Since we have recruited in Zimbabwe, I think we have got the best out of Zim players, and we have achieved a lot with them. Infact, we even exported them, Knowledge spent one and a half years with us, and he went to Germany.
“It shows the quality of the players and the calibre of the players we got there. So the relationship with Zim and us resonates from far, during the early days when the chairman [Dr Kaizer Motaung] was still playing as well.
“So, it’s historical. For us, it’s that love relationship with Zim.”
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