Kaizer Chiefs' Arthur Zwane has some big decisions to make now that he's officially been confirmed as the new head coach.
It was a decision which makes a lot of sense. Bringing in a foreigner would always have been a risk, and while Benni McCarthy was one local option, there were not too many obvious and available candidates in South Africa.
Zwane's long relationship with the club means he knows the Chiefs culture intimately, and having served for several years as an assistant, he knows the players too.
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Whether he has the stature and personality to handle such a big job, only time will tell.
The club has done well to confirm Zwane's takeover so early, which means that the planning for next season starts now.
And that's where the job begins to get tough for Zwane and his technical team, because it's probably time to cut loose some loyal club servants.
GalloIt will be a difficult job, but if Amakhosi want to return to the summit of South African football, then there can be no place for sentiment.
Those whose futures with the club, in a playing capacity anyway, might be on the line, in terms of their age, include Bernard Parker, Erick Mathoho, Itumeleng Khune, Daniel Cardoso, Daniel Akpeyi and Ramahlwe Mphahlele.
It might be harsh to end their playing careers at Chiefs, but that's not to say that there might not be jobs available in their post-playing days for some of those who have served the club with such dedication.
But they cannot continue to be carried in matchday squads when they no longer have the quality needed for Chiefs to end their trophy drought of seven years.
Of the above-mentioned players, Zwane has already given an indication of whom his preferences are. During his tenure as stand-in coach after Stuart Baxter's departure in April, '10111' has given quite a bit of game-time to the likes of Mphahlele and Parker. Not so for Mathoho, Khune, Akpeyi and Cardoso.
Of course, there is value in experience and so Zwane, together with management, may decide to keep one or two of the older guys, but surely not all of them.
Also to be taken into account are players such as Anthony Agay and Lazarous Kambole, who contributed very little last season. Samir Nurkovic, Lebogang Manyama and perhaps Leonardo Castro also fall into that category. Not forgetting a decision over Dumisani Zuma’s future.
There are some big calls ahead for Zwane, and even if he won't be making them by himself, it will ultimately be his reputation on the line.
If he shows decisiveness and does cull the squad significantly and bring in a few good signings, it would certainly help endear him to the hard-to-please Amakhosi faithful and help him hit the ground running.
