Opinion: Did Kaizer Chiefs set Johnson and Ntseki up for failure before letting them go?

Opinion: Did Kaizer Chiefs set Johnson and Ntseki up for failure before letting them go?

Kaizer Chiefs appointed two coaches last year in Molefi Ntseki and Cavin Johnson, but were both coaches doomed to fail?

In May 2021, Ntseki became Head of Technical and Youth Development Academy at Kaizer Chiefs. That appointment was not questioned given the coach’s record with the junior national teams. Ntseki was hired a few months after he was sacked as Bafana Bafana coach.

Ntseki and Johnson booted by Kaizer Chiefs

For two years, the ex-Bafana coach operated quietly in the Amakhosi development space. In June 2023, Kaizer Chiefs shocked many when they announced Ntseki as head coach. The annoucement was met with criticism from fans but the club’s chairman Kaizer Motaung pleaded with supporters to give the former Bafana mentor a chance.

After a run of poor results, Ntseki was sacked by Kaizer Chiefs and replaced with Cavin Johnson. The latter had just joined the club as Head of Academy. Johnson remained as coach for the remainder of the season but failed to get the best out of the players.

On 1 July 2024, Johnson was booted.

“Kaizer Chiefs have agreed to an amicable parting of ways with head of Academy, Cavin Johnson. Johnson joined Kaizer Chiefs in September 2023 to take up his role at the Club. The departure is part of the restructuring process that the Club is undertaking.

We wish to thank Mr Johnson for his contribution to Kaizer Chiefs and wish him well in the future,” the club said in a statement.

If Ntseki and Johnson were good at their job in development, Kaizer Chiefs could have at least kept one of them. Ntseki spent two years at his previous role before getting promoted to the senior team. If the management werw happy with his role at development, why didn’t he return to his role after getting sacked?

Johnson was thrown into the deep end having just joined the development structures weeks before he was appinted coach. The former Platinum Stars coached had hardly settled into his role before he was called in to replace Ntseki. In the end, Kaizer Chiefs decided to aprt ways with Johnson just like they did with Ntseki.