Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has broken his silence on the reports that Kaizer Chiefs were in talks with Nasreddine Nabi, before explaining the club’s decision to replace Arthur Zwane with Molefi Ntseki.
Amakhosi unveiled Ntseki as new head coach on 28 June, in a move which surprised many at a time when double-treble winner Nabi was seen as favourite to take over at Naturena.
The club had since put their full backing behind Ntseki, with Motaung Jr. insisting talk of Nabi replacing Zwane was “disrespectful”.
“The Nabi stuff is very strange to me,” he said at the launch of the club’s new Kappa kits.
“I think it also came at it a time when it very disrespectful when coach Arthur was our head coach.
“I think a lot was made in the media and things pushed in the wrong direction. From the club side we always knew the direction we were going to take and we also have act with caution, professionalism and respect for all individuals.
“We also have a team like Yanga, who we just had a great international friendly with, looking to build relationships.
“I think sometimes the narrative in the media is also driven in the wrong way but from the club side we were very clear in our direction and we’re looking forward to coach Ntseki giving us all his best.
“For us it was weird because people were talking like we didn’t have a head coach. Coach Arthur was our head coach and we just went through a restructuring phase. We were very clear this whole time, which direction we took, which was Ntseki and we’re looking forward to the best from the coach.”
When pressed about why they made the restructuring of the technical team just one season into Zwane and Dillon Sheppards’ three-year project, signified by the duration of the deals they signed last season – Motaung Jr. said it was something they felt was necessary.
Amakhosi have been known, in past, to be patient and allow their coaches to see out their contracts but after a record amount of 12 defeats in a single league campaign, the former Bafana Bafana coach has stepped in with a mixed reception from the club’s supporters.
“I think it’s a restructuring, Coach Arthur and Coach Ntseki have been part of the same structural system, even last season we had coach Ntseki as Head of Technical who worked very closely with Arthur,” he explained.
“So there’s a very youthful angle we are still looking to incorporate and for us, it’s just a restructuring but a lot of continuity at the same time – it’s people who worked together and the direction we felt at this moment at the time was the best way to move forward.”