Zwane looking forward to reuniting with ex-Bafana coach Ntseki at Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs caretaker-coach Arthur Zwane says the club has roped in a coach of quality after the appointment of his former Bafana Bafana boss Molefi Ntseki as head of technical and the academy.

Zwane has bid farewell to one boss at Chiefs — with head coach Gavin Hunt fired on Friday — and welcomed another after the appointment of Ntseki on Monday to oversee coaching and development at the Soweto giants.

Zwane and Dillon Sheppard — Hunt's former assistants — take charge of their first top-flight match in 11th-placed Amakhosi’s penultimate 2020-21 DStv Premiership fixture against Lamontville Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The ex-winger knows Ntseki well‚ having worked with the coach intimately as his assistant‚ a role Zwane held part-time while also assisting at Chiefs‚ with Bafana.

“Look, I always say everything happens for a reason‚ simply because you know the quality he has got as a coach‚ and I learnt a lot from him when I was part of the national team with him‚” Zwane‚ also Chiefs’ ex-head of U-21s and current reserve team coach‚ said of Ntseki’s appointment.

“I’m looking forward to working with him here and making sure that we produce the best players for the team‚ and players who can maybe go overseas and represent the country at international level.”

Ntseki was released from his contract as Bafana coach shortly after the national team’s failure to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in March.

The ex-South Africa under-17 head coach and Bafana assistant has extensive experience of youth football and structures.

He set up the Harmony Academy in the Free State that produced the SuperSport United duo of Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule. Ntseki steered the SA U-17s to runners-up at the 2015 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations‚ taking them to that year’s Fifa U-17 World Cup‚ where they exited in the group stage.

Chiefs’ chair Kaizer Motaung said the club previously approached Ntseki before he was appointed Bafana coach in August 2019.

“The reason we appointed him is because of his extensive experience. He’s gone through the mill from schools soccer‚ amateur football‚ youth‚ right up to national football‚” Motaung said.

“And because of his knowledge and experience we felt there was a need to bring  in somebody of his stature to be able to preserve out culture and philosophy of football. Because as you can see right now with the present team, we have lost something in the team that is very critical.

“... And I must mention that we engaged him before‚ and that was before he went to Bafana Bafana.”

Motaung said Ntseki’s knowledge of emerging young players would also be beneficial to the head of technical as he will also be expected to scout.