Former Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund reckons that the chopping and changing of coaches is one of the biggest problems that has seen Kaizer Chiefs fail to win the league title in the past seasons.
Amakhosi haven’t won the title since the 2014/15 season and finished outside the top 8 twice since then. In that period, eight coaches have been at the helm and only current mentor Nasreddine Nabi has been able to break the trophy spell, helping them to Nedbank Cup glory last season.
Igesund told iDiski Times senior writer Matshelane Mamabolo that changing mentors doesn’t really help when the team needs someone solid who should be given the mandate to win the league and be offered all the support needed.
“The problem is that teams like Chiefs are changing their team and coach almost every year,” Igesund told iDiski Times.
“That is not going to win them the championship. Chiefs need to employ someone they can confidently give a mandate to win the league. They must say, ‘That’s your mandate and we will give you all the support you want’. But if you get a coach who still has to get used to the culture and get used to the players like they’ve done, then you’ve got a problem. You are just not going to stop Sundowns.”
The 69-year-old former league winner also adds that the other challenge is that clubs have foregone experienced coaches who know how to win championships, citing current Bafana coach Hugo Broos and what his experience has done for the senior national team.
“There’s no substitute for experience in coaching,” added Igesund.
“Look at [Hugo] Broos, he is fit and can do the job. He’s got the brains, He’s been there and done that, and that’s why our national team is doing well. Our football needs that. Our clubs need to realise that they are not going to compete against Sundowns with young, inexperienced coaches. You need people who’ve been there before and have won championships.
“I went from Pirates to Santos and won the league. I also won the league with Sundowns and was essentially champion with [Moroka] Swallows at the final whistle of the season, only for Benni McCarthy to score for Pirates and they beat us to the title.”
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