Fiacre Ntwari defiance proves Kaizer Chiefs duo Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef aren’t up to the task
No respect: Goalkeeper Faicre Ntwari disrespected his club and coaches on Sunday when he refused to be substituted off in their Carling Knockout Cup clash against Stellenbosch FC. Photo: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
If ever there was proof that Nasreddine Nabi’s lieutenants Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef at Kaizer Chiefs were not up to the task of taking charge of the biggest football club in the land, then the incident involving goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari was it.
In a Carling Knockout clash against Stellenbosch FC that was decided by a penalty shootout, Ntwari showed how little he thought of the two coaches when he refused to be substituted towards the end of the match.
In all of sport, respect for your coaches is paramount, and when that bond is broken, then either the player or the coach has to be shown the exit door.
We’ve seen this story before: Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham had a massive fallout that led to Golden Balls being transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid. At Chelsea, Maurizio Sari was given the boot following an incident similar to Ntwari when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted in a Cup final.
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If not addressed immediately and harshly, that type of behaviour can spread to the rest of the dressing room, as other teammates lose respect for the coaching staff.
Kaze and Ben Youssef were elevated following Nabi’s departure to bring some stability to the club. Have they done that? Since Nabi left after their 3-1 loss to Sekhukhune United, the mighty Amakhosi have won just one game in all competitions.
With their attacking quality, Chiefs’ season should not be unravelling like this, and the responsibility should lie with Nabi’s right hand men.
The club’s bosses should act quickly before the club fall further behind. If they bring in someone new right now, they still have time to steady the ship.
Football clubs of Kaizer Chiefs’ stature are built on authority, discipline, and accountability – values that once made them the pride of South African football.
Allowing confusion and dissent to fester on the touchline only tarnishes that legacy. Whether it’s through reinstating a commanding figure or overhauling the current setup, decisive leadership is now non-negotiable. Chiefs cannot afford another lost season – not when the cracks are this visible and the solutions this urgent.
IOL Sport
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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