Arthur Jabulani Zwane has been named as the senior team’s head coach, effective immediately, on a three-year contract.
Zwane, who was born in Soweto, has previously served as interim head coach on several occasions, most notably in April following Stuart Baxter’s departure, when he led the squad for the final seven league matches of the 2021/22 season.
Earlier in the season, he had taken over as captain for three matches in the run-up to the Covid-19 outbreak in December 2021.
He was also in charge towards the end of last season, managing the team’s performance in the final two DStv Premiership matches of the season as well as the two-legged CAF Champions League semi-final against Wydad Casablanca.
He won the league matches and qualified Kaizer Chiefs for the historic CAF Champions League finals by sneaking the team into the top eight on the penultimate day.
With 22 years of service under his belt, Zwane is as well-versed in the Kaizer Chiefs’ traditions and culture as one can be.
He had a successful career as a skillful winger for Amakhosi, scoring 32 goals in 252 games in all competitions.
He helped the Club win 12 major trophies between his debut in 2000 and his retirement a decade later, including the CAF Cup Winners Cup, two league titles, the MTN8, Coca-Cola Cup, Absa Cup, BP Top8, and Telkom Knockout.
In addition, he has nine times represented Bafana Bafana on the international level.
He retired in 2010 to join Kaizer Chiefs as an assistant to Vladimir Vermezovic, and stayed with the first squad until May 2012, when Doctor Khumalo and Ace Khuse replaced the leaving Vermezovic late in the season.
In 2012, he started working with the Chiefs Youth Academy Development program, where he coached the U-13, U-17, and U-19 teams for four seasons before stepping up to coach the Club’s Reserve Team.
During his time with the Youth Development structures, he assisted in the discovery and development of players such as Siyabonga Ngezana, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya, Sabelo Radebe, Njabulo Blom, Bruce Bvuma, Mduduzi Shabalala, Bontle Molefe, Keletso Sifama, Lebohang Lesako, With the majority of these players, he went on to win the first Multichoice Diski Shield in 2018.
He also pursued his coaching qualifications, earning a UEFA B Licence Coaching Badge as well as CAF A and B Licence Coaching Badges.
Kaizer Motaung, the club’s chairman, voiced his belief in Zwane’s capacity to lead Amakhosi to triumph.
“We would like to take this opportunity and congratulate coach Arthur Zwane for this big appointment. The plan we have been working on for many years of appointing Arthur as our Head Coach has come to fruition. After seeing his passion for the game and his willingness to learn, we have been looking to bring him through to lead the senior when the time is right and we believe that time is now. We are also grateful that he has been patient and continued to work hard to advance his coaching skills and abilities by educating himself, which is key in the modern game,” Motaung said following the announcement.
“Arthur is the someone who grew up at Chiefs and has a full understanding of our culture. We did say last year when we appointed the Sporting Director and Head of Technical that we wanted them to work with people who understand our philosophy. This is important as the coach works closely with those two gentlemen on a daily basis,” the Chairman added. When Zwane was called up to act as an assistant coach for Bafana Bafana in 2020 and 2021, he worked alongside Molefi Ntseki, who is now Kaizer Chiefs’ Head of Technical and Development.
Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr., a former teammate of Zwane, said: “It is no secret that we have had a number of challenging seasons over the last few years.We have had to make decisive changes in leading us to what we strongly believe will lay the foundation for long term success. We are confident that our supporters and all those who are associated with the Kaizer Chiefs brand will have something to smile about soon.”
“One of the main reasons the Club decided to appoint Coach Arthur Zwane is his deep understanding of the Kaizer Chiefs playing philosophy and his incredible work ethic. His innovative and modern approach to the game has made him the ideal candidate to drive this unique project into the future,” Motaung Jr. added.
Dillon Sheppard, who joined the Chiefs as an assistant coach in 2020, will help Coach Zwane.
Sheppard, a product of the School of Excellence, spent 19 years in the top flight of football, playing for a variety of clubs both locally and overseas (Russia and Greece).
He has played for the national team at all levels, including U-17, U-19, U-23, and senior.
Over the previous two seasons, the two have worked together as assistant coaches, developing trust and remarkable synergy.
“We are all working with the coach to recruit a number of players in key positions who fit the profile of what we are looking for,” said Football Manager Bobby Motaung. “This is how we look to build a strong and formidable team for the new season and beyond. We have a number of great football minds within our technical structure and we believe we will bring players who will add value when they get to Chiefs.”
Zwane and his technical staff will begin planning for the next season right away.