KAIZER Chiefs boss Kaizer Motaung has reflected on last year, saying 2021 was a “challenging year” for the club.
Amakhosi could not sign players at the beginning of last season after Fifa banned the Soweto giants for two transfer windows.
Then new coach Gavin Hunt, appointed to replace Ernst Middendorp, couldn’t go to the market to beef up the squad to challenge for four competitions, including the Caf Champions League.
Hunt, who struggled to get things going and consistently not having his fixed starting line-up, was eventually released by Amakhosi on 28 May last year.
At that time, Chiefs were staring at the barrel of missing out on the top eight competition, the MTN8, as they were lying outside the top half with two league matches to go.
The club then appointed Arthur Zwane as the caretaker coach to work alongside Dillion Sheppard, who was brought in by Hunt as his assistant coach. But Zwane assured Chiefs that they would be in the top eight, as they beat Golden Arrows and TS Galaxy to nestle in the top eight.
The duo’s appointment came at the time that Chiefs were also in the semifinal of the Champions League with that limited squad.
Chiefs then appointed coach Stuart Baxter on a two-year contract, plus a two-year option on 9 June.
But the British could not be on the bench as Chiefs shocked Wydad Casablanca to win 1-0 on aggregate to reach the final. They lost 3-0 to Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahly, with Baxter in charge of that game.
“Reaching the final of the 2021 CAF Champions League will be written in bold letters in the history books of Kaizer Chiefs,” said Motaung.
“The players really made us proud, overcoming incredible odds to come within a whisker of being crowned continental champion.
“We faced numerous serious challenges along the way: from a game scheduled to take place in Morocco which Caf relocated to Burkina Faso, to travel restrictions in Angola.
“During the course of the competition, we witnessed how Covid-19 was used as a weapon by some organisations in an attempt to win matches. Yet we soldiered on, motivated by the undying support of our loyal fans, to whom we express extreme gratitude for their solidarity during this time.”
Faced with those challenges, Motaung has praised Zwane and Sheppard for helping the club reach the Champions League final.
Zwane, unlike Sheppard, played for Chiefs between 2000 and 2010 where he made 252 appearances with a contribution of 32 goals. He won no less than 12 trophies with the Glamour Boys.
“It’s important to acknowledge the important role played by coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard, who held the fort during that crucial time that saw us get into the top eight and reach the Caf Champions League final,” added Motaung.
