Kaizer Chiefs crisis deeper than coaching, says Amakhosi legend

The turmoil at Kaizer Chiefs is beyond a simple coaching fix, according to club legend Joseph ‘Banks’ Setlhodi. The revered former goalkeeper believes the club’s issues are systemic, arguing that even a world-class manager like Pitso Mosimane would fail with the current squad and fractured leadership structure.

His damning assessment comes as the reigning Nedbank Cup champions officially confirmed that they have parted ways with head coach Nasreddine Nabi.

The Tunisian mentor, whose departure had been murky since September, finally severed ties, leading the club to appoint Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze as interim co-coaches for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.

Results Remain Mixed Post-Nabi At Kaizer Chiefs

Despite the attempt to “steady the ship,” the technical team change has yielded mixed results over five matches: one win, two draws, and two defeats. Chiefs barely squeezed into the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary second round on penalties and saw Their domestic cup run ended early after crashing out of the Carling Knockout Cup to Stellenbosch FC.

For many fans, the answer lies in bringing a high-profile figure like Mosimane to Naturena, but HE firmly rejected this idea.

Setlhodi insisted that the focus of criticism needs to shift entirely from the technical bench to the playing staff.

“Before you talk about coaches, let’s talk about the players,” the veteran demanded in an interview with FARPost. “YOU can bring 20 coaches to Chiefs, from the best in the world, the results won’t change. Chiefs lack good footballers. That is the problem. The coach does not win the game; it is the players that win the game. The coach only directs.”

The legend also cast a critical eye on the boardroom, expressing serious doubts about the decision-making at the top.

“If ou are blind and leading a nation, that nation will fail because you see nothing. I don’t think Kaizer Chiefs have good leaders to address what is happening. Everybody can see where the problem is at Chiefs. They don’t fix the problems. The question is, why? Why.”

Mosimane Wouldn’t Last

Setlhodi warned that the structure at the club would quickly drive him away.

“Pitso would not stay at Chiefs. You know why? Because Chiefs don’t have good leaders, They don’t know how to address football matters. They think football is just business; You just go to the office and stay there. Football is something else,” Banks said.

He concluded by pointing to the perceived lack of quality on the pitch, suggesting Mosimane would refuse to work under such conditions.

“If Pitso goes to Chiefs, he will demand players. If  they don’t give him what he needs, HE will leave. Pitso won’t want to work with average players. YOU can’t have players earning R50 000 but still need to be taught how to trap the ball.”