Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has used his father Dr. Kaizer Motaung as inspiration for how the club must remain patient in their attempt to turn their current struggles around.
Amakhosi are South Africa’s most successful club based on overall silverware won since Motaung founded the club 1970, however, they are currently going through a recent slump and have not won any silverware in over eight years.
With eight coaching changes in those eight years since Chiefs last lifted silverware, Bobby Motaung has used his father as example that remaining patient and planning for the future rather than pressing panic buttons has helped the club to overcome struggles in the past.
“It requires a leader, who is patient to develop and inspire coaches, players and give people opportunities,” he told iDiski Times’ during his father’s induction in the South African Hall of Fame recently.
“It’s not magic, it’s not that he is pressing a button that whoever we sign [for] the team must perform. It’s about planning, it’s about re-planning.
“The success of the brand has been there for years because of rebranding, rebuilding, refocusing, changing and facing the challenges and I think that’s what makes him unique because he has been through the mill.”
Bobby Motaung also admitted that challenges are part of the game and had his father and the founding father of the club not overcome those challenges he might not turned into the leader he is today.
“I think, if you check the history now to see why he is acknowledged, he has been through this journey in the past,” he added.
“We’ve never had smooth sailing and 53 years of success. Success comes with challenges and I think he sailed through those challenges and those are challenges of football that’s why we are in football.
“If it was smooth sailing forever maybe he would not be acknowledged and maybe he’d be saying ‘I’m okay, not even still be serving’.
“I think these are the challenges that make us strong, that makes him strong, that makes him proud because you must remember for every child to put on this jersey it’s a challenge and a massive challenge”
