Chiefs chairman Motaung blasts Ntseki critics

“Talk is cheap” – those are words Kaizer Chiefs Chairman Dr Kaizer Motaung uttered when addressing the criticism levelled at the club’s decision to hand Molefi Ntseki the head coach position ahead of the new DStv Premiership season.

The Chiefs supremo pleaded with the club’s fans to give Ntseki a chance to show his worth after he took over the hot seat from Arthur Zwane, who has been demoted to an assistant coaching role.

Amakhosi are looking to end an eight-year drought for silverware and the former Bafana Bafana coach will be expected to deliver immediately.

“With the acquisitions that we have made, the path that we undertook and the benefit that we’re also getting from our youth development, I think we’re on the right track,” Motaung said in a rare interview at the club’s jersey launch on Tuesday.

“The coach just needs to be given a chance to do his job, because as you are well aware that when the announcement was made about the redeployment of the coach, it brought a lot of mixed feelings from a lot of people and obviously talk is cheap.

“It’s easy to criticise but you can only criticise something that has gone through the test and say ‘this is not right’ but history will show you that of all the coaches that we brought in, even from abroad, none of them had won anything or even had success where they came from. 

“The only time they had success was when they came to Kaizer Chiefs and found a set-up the way it was.

“We hope Ntseki can also be given that opportunity to really do his job and see after some time whether we can be able to criticise him or not. It’s unfortunate that because of social media today, people are at liberty to say anything because of the excitement but the criticism that has been levelled against him has been very unfair because he hasn’t even started doing anything with the team.”

The Glamour Boys have recruited heavily in the current transfer window bringing in defenders Thatayaone Ditlhokwe and Given Msimango. They have also beefed up upfront with Pule Mmodi, Ranga Chivaviro, Tebogo Potsane, Mduduzi Mdantsane and Venezuelan Edson Daniel Castillo Garcia.

“This creates much more expectations, those who are new here will realise the challenge they have undertaken to come play for Chiefs,” Motaung cautioned.

“So we’re going to do everything possible to educate them, make them understand the culture and history of where we come from. There is a challenge on our side to be able to bring them to the party because some players might be good from where they come from but the atmosphere is different.

“We need to help new players and strengthen their characters because it’s a big challenge, especially coming from our 12th player which is our supporters. They are the ones who make this machinery work so we owe it to them to give these new players support.”