Legendary striker Fani Madida has voiced his support for Arthur Zwane, suggesting that the coach's tenure at Kaizer Chiefs was prematurely concluded and is advocating for his return to the helm.
Zwane, who had initially taken over from Stuart Baxter over a year ago, led the team to a fifth-place finish and semi-final appearances in both the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.
Despite a brief stint as interim coach in July 2021, which saw Chiefs reach the CAF Champions League final against Al Ahly SC, Zwane was reassigned to the development structures at the start of this season, making way for Molefi Ntseki. Notably, Zwane was assisting Gavin Hunt when the latter coach took Amakhosi to the CAFCL semi-finals.
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It was Zwane who got Chiefs past Wydad Casablanca against the odds.
A season later, Ntseki's tenure was cut short due to poor results, leading to Cavin Johnson's current interim position in recent months.
Madida, speaking to Arena Sports hosted by Timeslive, emphasized the need for a support system around Zwane to enable his success.
“I think Arthur Zwane’s time was short-lived, they needed to bring in a person who was going to advise Arthur or create a group of - a think-tank for the team so that Arthur could thrive because he is one of us, he is one of them,” Madida told Arena Sports.
He highlighted Zwane's deep understanding of Chiefs' culture, contrasting it with external hires who might lack this intrinsic knowledge. Madida also pointed out to the potential for a coaching change to invigorate the squad, suggesting that Zwane's familiarity with the club could be the key to unlocking the players' potential.
“He knows the ins and outs; he knows the charter culture of the team. So, now you take him out and then bring in a person who doesn’t know about the culture of Kaizer Chiefs. He reads about it; he thinks he knows about it.
“He won’t know about it now. I would say take him aside and prepare for next season, Arthur is still there. (Bring him back?) Why not?” Madida added.
“If you bring Arthur back, then say to Cavin, 'you have tried your best but let’s give this one a chance'. Players normally get motivated when a new man comes.
“You’ll see magic. You see players you didn’t trust that they are Chiefs material surprising you with their performances.
“There are players at Chiefs good enough to be called or profiled to be Chiefs players. The problem is coaching and understanding the culture of how to do things at Kaizer Chiefs,” Madida added.
Even though Zwane did coach Chiefs for quite a long period, not winning silverware is what counted against him. However, Madida believes that with the right support and understanding of the club's culture, Zwane could lead Chiefs to success now.
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