Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane Mayele Yanga

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has once again come under fire. Image: Twitter @kazierchiefs

Chiefs coach hits back at former player turned critic

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has responded to a critical former player with a clear message of his own.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane Mayele Yanga

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has once again come under fire. Image: Twitter @kazierchiefs

Chiefs may be sitting in a relatively respectable fourth spot on the DStv Premiership table, but they are as many as 22 log points behind runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.

Although Amakhosi are still in the mix in the Nedbank Cup, there are still fears that this could be yet another trophy-less season for the club, with the Soweto giants having already endured a seven-season drought.

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Coach Arthur Zwane has come in for criticism at different times this season, which largely comes with the territory of this high-pressure job.

One of the most outspoken critics has been football commentator Junior Khanye, who briefly played at Chiefs during his career, but Zwane has said he wouldn’t want to stoop to his level.

“Critics are part of the game. It’s his opinion, I respect his opinion as a former player,” Zwane said, as quoted by iDiski Times, when asked about Khanye’s criticism at the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals draw.

“By the way, who am I to go down to the level of Junior Khanye? You understand what I’m saying. This is football, I respect everyone and I respect his opinion and I love it for a fact that he’s saying what he thinks, but people are not the same.”

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The Chiefs coach acknowledged this hasn’t been the ideal season

Zwane has regularly pointed out that injuries and player unavailability has particularly hampered the consistency of the team this campaign.

“We have played nearly all the games this season without any consistent line-up. I would have liked to have had a stable first XI to say, ‘This is our team and we build on it and make sure the identity is there’. 

“Unfortunately, some of the players have been missing because of injuries and unforeseen circumstances but it is part and parcel of the game and we can’t complain.” 

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It’s been an up-and-down season for Amakhosi

Chiefs have won 10 games out of 22 in the league. Photo: Flashscore

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