Kaizer Chiefs defender Siyabonga Ngezana says head coach Arthur Zwane has been a pivotal figure in his turnaround this season.
Ngezana, 25, earned high praise from Zwane at the start of the 2022/23 season and started in each of their five opening games, where he committed several errors that led to goals as they lost three games.
While Zwane remained unperturbed by his poor form, he eventually took him out the firing line and he was benched for nine games before his return against Royal AM in January which coincided with five wins from their last seven league outings.
“I would say, he is… I would say I have a good relationship with Coach Arthur Zwane from a young age, he coached me in the development, so he has so much confidence in me and I have so much confidence in him,” Ngezana said when asked by iDiski Times how Zwane has helped him this season.
“I know what he expects from players, I’m doing my best also… to not let him down and the team.”
When pressed on how he’s managed to take his game to new heights, the towering defender quoted Roman philosopher Seneca to express what went through his mind watching from the sidelines.
“[The improvement], everything starts at training, doing my extra work, getting my head up, waiting for an opportunity [to play], obviously they say, success is when opportunity meets preparation, so I was waiting for this opportunity,” he stated.
“Also, it’s helped me in my mental strength because these things [a dip in form and criticism] happens to the best players too.”
Ngezana has racked up 115 games for Amakhosi since graduating to the first team as a teenager in the 2016/17 season.
