Kaizer Chiefs’ Never-Ending Coach Carousel & R27 Million Sponsorship Scandal: When Football Drama Meets Municipal Mayhem – ‘Because Stability is Clearly Overrated!’
The Kaizer Chiefs, one of South Africa’s most storied football clubs, appear trapped in a cycle of instability that threatens to keep them from reclaiming their former glory.
Former Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Eagles has bluntly pointed out what many fans have long suspected: the club’s constant chopping and changing of coaches is a key reason why they haven’t lifted the league title since the 2014-15 season.
In the last decade, the Chiefs have cycled through eight different coaches, with only the current manager, Nazarin Nabi, managing to end the club’s trophy drought by winning the Nedbank Cup last season.
Yet, even that victory feels like a faint glimmer amid years of underperformance, including finishing outside the top eight twice.
Speaking to Idriski Times, Eagles emphasized the importance of stability in the dugout.
“The problem is that teams like Chiefs are changing their team and coach almost every year,” he said.
“That is not going to win them the championship. Chiefs need to employ someone they can confidently give a mandate to win the league. They must say, ‘That’s your mandate, and we will give you all the support you want.’”
Eagles’ message is clear: without consistency and trust in coaching leadership, Chiefs will continue to fall short.
He warns that bringing in coaches who need time to adapt to the club’s culture and players only delays progress.
“You are just not going to stop Sundowns,” he added, referring to the dominant Mamelodi Sundowns, the team that has set the benchmark in South African football.
The 69-year-old former league winner also laments the trend of clubs opting for inexperienced coaches over seasoned veterans.
He cites current Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos as an example of how experience translates into success.
“There’s no substitute for experience in coaching,” Eagles insists.
“Look at Hugo Broos. He is fit and can do the job. He’s got the brains. He’s been there and done that. And that’s why our national team is doing well.”
Eagles’ own coaching career is a testament to this philosophy.
Having won the league with Pirates, Santos, and Sundowns, he knows firsthand the value of experience.
His warning to Chiefs is blunt: if they want to challenge the Sundowns, they need coaches who have been there before and know how to win.
Meanwhile, the drama off the pitch continues to escalate.
Royal AM, a club owned by Durban businesswoman Shaun Mamkhize and her son Andile Bisan, has been thrust into the spotlight after a high court ruled that the R27 million sponsorship deal it received from the Msunduzi municipality was unlawful.
The decision forces the club to repay the full amount, a significant blow given the controversy surrounding the deal.
The sponsorship, initially touted as a strategic investment in sports development and brand exposure, sparked public outrage.
Critics argued that the cash-strapped municipality, struggling with service delivery backlogs and financial instability, had irresponsibly allocated funds.
Local residents and civil society groups welcomed the court’s ruling as a victory for accountability.
Anthony Wild, CEO of the Msunduzi Residents’ Ratepayers and Civics Association, expressed hope that the municipality would take concrete steps to recover the money and redirect it to urgent service delivery needs.
Calls for a broader investigation into how the deal was approved are growing louder, with activists pushing for tighter oversight of municipal finances.
The Royal AM saga highlights a troubling intersection of sport, politics, and public funds—a reminder that football scandals are not confined to the pitch.
It also raises uncomfortable questions about the influence of powerful figures like MaMkhize in South African football, whose name has once again surfaced amid controversy.
Back at Kaizer Chiefs, former player and coach Sergio Dos Santos offers a more tempered perspective on the club’s current state.
After a dismal 2024-25 campaign that saw Chiefs finish ninth in the Premier Division and miss the top eight for the second time in recent years, Dos Santos urges patience with Nazarin Nabi.
Dos Santos acknowledges the difficult task ahead.
“Nabi had one year to discover what Kaizer Chiefs is about, the pressure he is coaching under. I’m sure he has found out by now which players are good enough, and he signed a few players now. There are no more excuses and stories. It’s time for him to lift Kaizer Chiefs back to the top,” he told Kickoff.
However, Dos Santos tempers expectations, cautioning that a league title in Nabi’s debut season is unlikely.
“I don’t think they can win the league. But they got to be thereabouts,” he said.
His view reflects a pragmatic approach: focus on steady progress, build a strong foundation, and aim to challenge for cup competitions.
Dos Santos also echoes Eagles’ sentiment about the dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Personally, I do not think that at this stage there is any team in South Africa good enough to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title. I don’t think there is anybody who can do that.”
For Chiefs, the challenge is clear: close the gap, stabilize the club’s leadership, and rebuild a team capable of competing at the highest level.
“The best Nabi needs to do is to continue challenging for the cup competitions as one of the top teams in the country.
That’s what the supporters want and demand,” Dos Santos concluded.
As Kaizer Chiefs navigate this turbulent period, the question remains—will the club learn from its mistakes and embrace stability, or will the revolving door of coaches and off-field controversies continue to undermine its ambitions?
With the R27 million sponsorship scandal casting a shadow over South African football’s integrity and the specter of MaMkhize’s influence looming large, the stakes have never been higher.
In a world where football is as much about politics and power as it is about goals and glory, the Kaizer Chiefs’ story is a dramatic reminder: sometimes, the biggest battles are fought off the field.
And in this game, the only certainty is that the drama will keep unfolding.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Chiefs attempt to rewrite their narrative and strive to reclaim their place at the summit of South African football.
After all, in the realm of sport and scandal, the show must go on.
