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Arthur Zwane – “We still have a long way to go”
*Arthur Zwane Photo*
Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane has admitted his side still has a long way to go in the Dstv Premiership before they become a consistent side.
Zwane lamented his side’s failure to put pressure on 10-men Richards Bay side and felt their inability to apply pressure and put them on the back foot consistently was lacking on his side. Zwane made these comments after his side defeated 10-men Richards Bay 1-0 at the King Zwelithini stadium in uMlaza, Durban.
Chiefs has benefitted in 4 of the last 5 games where an opposition finished the match with 10-men. In the 2022/23 season, an opponent has suffered a red card in 8 games involving Chiefs. Amakhosi won 6 of those games and drew the other two [against Marumo Gallants and TS Galaxy]. In a match where they themselves suffered a red card (Yusuf Maart received a red card against Richards Bay in the home leg at the Moses Mabhida Stadium), they went all the way to win the match 1-0 from Dillon Solomons second half penalty.
Zwane also felt the amount of criticism his players are subjected to doesn’t help them to grow and doesn’t help football in the country to grow. Speaking of defender Siyabonga Ngezana who was awarded with the Man of the Match award, Zwane said, “I always say football is a game of mistakes, once the player makes a mistakes, we bury him” Zwane lamented. “Many other players that were exceptional [also] made mistakes… mistakes that were costly. When I was a player I made mistakes and I was given an opportunity to play football. Football is a game of opportunities and I am happy for Siya [Ngezana], he looks solid lately”
Man management is one of Zwane’s stronger attributes. He has managed to help some of the players reinvent themselves in their game. Players like Ngezana, Samkelo Zwane, Happy Mashiane, to name but just a few, were under Zwane’s mentorship in the Multichoice Diski Challenge. He shared how he has a good relationship with rising star Mduduzi Shabalala’s father. “I only spend two to four hours every day with Mdu. It depends who he spends most of his time with.”
Ngezana had a difficulty start to the season where his mistakes gave Cape Town City and Sundowns an upper hand against Chiefs in the early stages of the season. The defender had to be benched and deqal with his game after he received heavy criticism from fans at large. The defender redeemed himself of late, even displayed a solid performance in the recent SOWETO derby victory against Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium.
As local footballers continue to make headlines more about off-the-field issues than on-the-field activities. Zwane spoke about the involvement of psychologist who assists [Chiefs] players even with situations outside of football.
It is well documented that a team of Chiefs caliber attracts big pressure from the fans, media and general South Africans at large. “These are the challenges most of our talented players are facing. The way we hype them up, we end up saying things we shouldn’t be saying and soon as they hear these things with their ears sometimes they end up thinking they have arrived”
Zwane believes each player should make a choice. They should decide if they want it [to remain professionals]. “When you’re a soccer player or a coach, it does not mean you don’t have personal problems.”
The squad depth in the Chiefs team will be tested yet again next week as defender Zitha Kwinika will miss the next match according to Zwane. With Billiat and Ngcobo out with long term injuries, Zwane still has to deal with replacing Saile who is out on suspension. “We still have a long way to go. We started without Ash [Ashley Du Preez], we are struggling to keep a consistent lineup so that we can build on it”
One wonders if Njabulo Ngcobo or Thabani Dube will be called upon to pluck in the whole in the defense or Zwane will once again make positional switches continuing with Ngezana as center back or play with a back three.
#KaizerChiefs #PSL #RichardsBay #Zwane
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