Kaizer Chiefs cut ties with Ntseki after just 114 days

Lasting just 114 days, Molefi Ntseki became Kaizer Chiefs’ shortest-serving coach in a period where Amakhosi have positioned themselves as a club that hire and fire coaches haphazardly since their last piece of silverware in 2015.

Chiefs confirmed Ntseki’s sacking yesterday, with Cavin Johnson, who recently joined as head of the youth development academy replacing him on an interim basis. Johnson’s first game will be away to high-flying Golden Arrows on Saturday.

Ntseki was the seventh man to be hired as a coach at Chiefs since they won their last trophy, the 2014/15 season’s league title. The former Bafana Bafana mentor’s tenure had been preceded by Steve Komphela, Giovanni Solinas, Ernst Middendorp, Gavin Hunt, Stuart Baxter and Arthur Zwane. 

Ntseki, who was parachuted to the head coach role at Naturena in July after he had also been serving as the club’s head of youth development, won only four of the 13 games he oversaw with six defeats and three draws.

Losing to AmaZulu in the first round of the Carling Knockout at FNB Stadium on Saturday proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Ntseki, who at the end of the game was pelted with missiles and shielded by security personnel to leave the field.

“Following a meeting on Monday morning, Molefi Ntseki’s tenure as head coach of Kaizer Chiefs has ended amicably by mutual consent. Given the recent run of disappointing results, the parties agreed that this was the best course of action under the prevailing circumstances,” Chiefs said in a statement yesterday.

Saturday marked the third time Ntseki found himself needing security to escape because of fans’ violence.

Meanwhile, Chiefs also confirmed that Zwane will return to his former role within the development structures, while Ntseki’s other assistant Dillon Sheppard will serve under Johnson, who makes a return to local coaching after his stint at Egypt’s Al-Ahly under Pitso Mosimane two years ago.

How long Chiefs’ coaches lasted since 2015

Ntseki – four months: (July – October 2023); four wins, six defeats and four draws from 13 games

Solinas – six months: (July 2018 – December 2018); seven win, six defeats and seven draws from 20 matches

Hunt – eight months: (September 2020 – May 2021); 12 wins, 15 defeats and 17 draws from 44 games

Baxter – 10 months: (June 2021 – April 2022); 11 wins, nine defeats and six draws from 39 games)

Zwane – 13 months: (May 2022 – June 2023); 17 wins, 13 defeats and seven draws from 37 games

Komphela 32 months – (July 2015 – April 2018); from 47 wins, 27 defeats and 38 draws 112 games