Kaizer Chiefs ended speculation over player movements at the club ahead of the 2016/17 season, announcing eight new signings, which included Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ramahlwe Mphahlele. But the most notable change - the headline act that caught many by surprise at Naturena - was at the technical team level, where coach Steve Komphela has requested ‘quality expertise’, a move that sees two club stalwarts demoted.
John Paintsil was announced as Komphela’s new assistant to gasps in the gallery during a packed press conference at the Chiefs headquarters.
The former Ghanaian defender, who played under Komphela at Maritzburg United two seasons ago before officially confirming his retirement from football as recent as last week, will replace Doctor Khumalo as the second-in-command in the Chiefs dugout.
The club also revealed that Brian Baloyi would become an understudy to a new goalkeeper coach in Brazilian Alexandre Revoredo, who is joined by his countryman and physical trainer Marco Aurelio Munhoz, to beef up the technical team.
“You tend to feel a little bit awkward about the changes, I should be honest,” said Komphela, who added that he was anxious about his second season with the Glamour Boys following a barren first campaign in which Chiefs reached two cup finals, but did not win and finished in fifth place to surrender their Absa Premiership title.
“You are not comfortable, but it is informed by what we are doing here with regards to our development as there is a lot of work that is going to happen. We have had three top scientists deployed and there are three top coaches coming here. There is no way you will have a quality player if you don’t have quality expertise.”
There were immediate question marks about Paintsil’s qualifications, while Revoredo has previously worked with arch-rivals Orlando Pirates and Munhoz is relatively unknown. But Komphela was quick to jump to 34-year-old Paintsil’s defence, while also setting the record straight that he had no issues with Khumalo, who was an assistant to Stuart Baxter for three seasons, winning two Premier League titles in that time.
These changes suggest a paradigm shift in the way Amakhosi appoint members of the technical team, with former players assuming the role of No 2 as far back as when Komphela himself was an assistant to Muhsin Ertugral between 2000 and 2002.
“Doctor doesn’t know any other club. He only knows Chiefs,” Komphela explained. “And with this new project, the kids coming through need people they can identify with and people who understand them and the culture. That is our logic, and that created an opportunity with the senior team to get candidates. We had to search and check, and the top candidate we got was (Paintsil). His knowledge of the game, character and personality, his experience and pedigree means you cannot question his ability. Forget the pedigree, he is addicted to pressure and has played at the highest level in England for many years and is a veteran of two World Cups.
“(Paintsil) said when he had a press conference last week to announce his retirement, a cameraman collapsed. That shows they hold him in high regard in Ghana. Our brothers up north really respect each other. Here at home we don’t give true value to our own.”
Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung described the changes announced yesterday as a season for ‘transformation’, reiterating that the technical team appointments were necessary and that the mandate to help Komphela win silverware was clear.
“We interviewed a lot of people and need the quality and expertise. We will continue to use our former players, or legends if you like, but everyone will have different deliverables.
“If this new technical team doesn’t deliver, they will go,” said Motaung. “But it is always tough to send a former player packing. With these guys (pointing at Paintsil, Revoredo and Munhoz) there are no sentiments because they are here to work.”
Chiefs new signings
Sibusiso Khumalo and Enocent Mkhabela (SuperSport United); Edmore Chirambadare and Michelle Katsvairo (Chicken Inn, Zimbabwe); Lewis Macha (Ferroviario, Mozambique); Emmanuel Letlotlo (promoted from reserve team); Keagan Buchanan (Bloemfontein Celtic) and Ramahlwe Mphahlele (Sundowns) - The Star
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