Kaizer Chiefs warned over delay of head coach appointment - 'Doing things that way does catch up with a team'

The vacuum at the helm of Naturena has left many observers concerned, as it has now been over two weeks since Kaizer Chiefs confirmed the departures of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef.

With the pre-season window fast approaching, the lack of a clear leadership figure is seen as a major stumbling block for a side desperate to reclaim its former glory.

Speaking to KickOff, former Amakhosi centre-back Johannes ‘Bricks’ Mudau expressed his growing frustration with the situation.

"They should be having a coach by now so that he starts planning for the pre-season; they should have started searching for a coach from the second round of last season, to enable you as a club to start approaching the players he would want for next season," Mudau explains.

Mudau pointed out a recurring flaw in the way South African clubs operate, suggesting that Chiefs are falling into a familiar trap of signing players before a coach has even been identified.

This disconnect between recruitment and coaching philosophy often leads to expensive mistakes that the club is forced to live with for years.

"But the norm here in South Africa is, when the season ends they fire a coach, buy players, and only then they do hire a coach," Mudau notes.

"And when the coach arrives, he says, so and so, you've just signed, I don't need them. And by that time, as a club, you have already given those new players three-year contracts. Then you are stuck with players you won't use."

The former defender warned that this haphazard approach has long-term consequences, citing previous examples where the Glamour Boys invested heavily in talent that didn't fit the eventual manager's system.

He believes that the pressure from the fans eventually boils over when these tactical misalignments lead to poor results on the pitch.

Reflecting on previous seasons, Mudau said: "Doing things that way, it does catch up with a team in the middle of the season.

"I think two or three seasons ago the club signed a guy who was a top striker in Zambia [Lazarus Kambole] and that season he ended up scoring only one goal for Kaizer Chiefs and they had already given him a three-year contract."

In Mudau's view, the current delay puts any incoming manager at an immediate disadvantage, potentially leading to a toxic atmosphere if the new man is forced to work with a squad he didn't build.

This cycle of failure, he argues, is what ultimately leads to the familiar calls for sackings from the Amakhosi faithful.

"As a coach, you end up forced to play a player who doesn't fit into your plan," Mudau added.

"And the next thing the supporters are singing 'Fire the coach!!'"

However, with reports linking the Soweto giants to Fernando Da Cruz, only time will tell whether the club has addressed its behind-the-scenes issues.

The last thing they need is another transfer window riddled with costly missteps and signings that do little to compliment the coach's blueprint.