Kaizer Chiefs ‘must look past coaches’ to find the problem: Shane McGregor

Kaizer Chiefs legend Shane McGregor says his former club needs to embrace how professional coaches work in modern football and not close the door on those who want to come in with their own staff. 

Chiefs parted ways with former Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki on Monday after the club struggled with results since he was moved from head of technical and youth development to Amakhosi's hot seat just before the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

Before Ntseki's appointment Chiefs had talks with experienced Nasreddine Nabi. Indications were his demands, which included bringing his own staff, were part of the reason Chiefs backed off on a deal with the Tunisian coach who had success with Young Africans in Tanzania last season.

Head of youth development Cavin Johnson has been appointed Chiefs' caretaker coach.

“Why do you think the club has not done well in the last eight or nine years? I think they've done nothing right because they're not doing that [appointing a coach who comes with his own team],” McGregor told TimesLIVE.

“Any decent coach is going to come with his own people. It is simple as that. You look anywhere in the world that's what happens.

“But the club must also look past coaches. They must look at where the problem is.

“They must start to identify where the problem is and where it is going wrong, a total outlook at the whole club. They must ask themselves why and what are they doing wrong and how can they change this.” 

Other than being knocked out in two cup competitions in 2023-24, Chiefs have also struggled in the DStv Premiership where they have lost four and won three out of nine matches to sit in eighth place. 

McGregor said the sooner Chiefs appoint a permanent and experienced coach the better for the Glamour Boys, the club he represented with aplomb as a striker in the late 1990s.

“I said right at the beginning Ntseki was not experienced enough for that position,” McGregor said of the coach who, despite his national team experience, had not coached in top flight football in South Africa.

“He had not coached any professional team. I think it's the right decision. They've got to find a coach who's going to be there for the long term because this changing of coaches [eight since 2015, when Chiefs last won silverware] is not going to help.”

McGregor said Johnson should not take charge in a caretaker role for long.

“To be honest, the sooner the better because then you're at least giving that coach [the rest of] this season to [establish] exactly where he is and what's going on so come next year you're not starting all over again.

“Unless you're going to put Cavin in that position full time. But if you're going to bring in a coach you bring him in as soon as possible. But it's got to be the right coach.”

Ntseki's lack of top flight experience, let alone a trophy, was telling for the coach at a huge club where the pressure is enormous to reverse a devastating eight seasons without silverware. 

“You've got to bring an experienced coach, a coach who knows the game, especially out here [in the PSL]. When I say an experienced coach, you can't be looking for your normal guys like [Ernst] Middendorp. They have tried and they haven't been successful.

“They need to find a guy who is going to come and fit the profile of the club. An experienced coach, someone who knows what he wants.

“You can't for instance have another Ntseki. He's got no experience and he's got two [Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard] inexperienced guys on the bench with him.”

Zwane has been demoted from assistant coach back to Chiefs' development structures.