Ntseki must win over doubting fans at Kaizer Chiefs
Molefi Ntseki is the latest coach in the hot-seat at Kaizer Chiefs, tasked with turning around the fortunes of a giant of the local game who have had to watch with envy as their rivals fill their trophy cabinets with new, glistening silverware.
It has now been eight years since the AmaKhosi last won a trophy, the longest barren run in the club’s illustrious history that is now into its sixth decade.
Since Stuart Baxter helped Chiefs romp to the 2014/15 DStv Premiership title, there have been seven permanent coaches in almost as many years at Naturena, including an unsuccessful second coming for the Briton.
Club owner Kaizer Motaung once vowed never to hire local coaches, but in that time has tried Steve Komphela, Gavin Hunt, Arthur Zwane and now Ntseki, perhaps convinced by the growing influence of his son Kaizer Motuang Jnr, who is sporting director.
Ntseki is a hire from within. In May 2021 he was appointed Head of Technical and Youth Development Academy, and had input into the first team under Zwane last year.
So he knows very well the players, their strengths and weaknesses, and the culture of the team, including the noise he has to manage from the halls of Naturena.
His career path has been an odd one. This is his first head coach role at a topflight club but he did have an 18-month spell in charge of Bafana Bafana, that ended when they lost 2-0 away in Sudan and failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Before that he led the national Under-17 side to their age-group World Cup in Chile in 2015, where he uncovered gems such as Cape Town City winger Khanyisa Mayo, current Chiefs player Reeve Frosler and the unfortunate Wiseman Meyiwa, whose career was prematurely ended following injuries sustained
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