Kaizer Chiefs sporting director refuses to comment on Benni McCarthy speculation

Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr has firmly declined to weigh in on reports linking the club to Benni McCarthy, insisting it would be inappropriate to discuss potential coaching targets while the current staff remain in charge.

Chiefs have been connected in recent weeks to high-profile names including Pitso Mosimane and McCarthy, the latter currently managing the Kenya national team. Motaung Jnr, however, stressed that any public conversation about new appointments would be premature.

“We have our immediate mandate and responsibility to restore the pride and the hurt that’s been happened to the nation and to the team,” Motaung Jnr told Marawa Sports Worldwide.

“It would be unfair of me to sit here and talk about coaches when we have coaches in the team.” He expressed admiration for both Mosimane and McCarthy, highlighting their achievements as players and managers, but maintained that discussing them at this stage “wouldn’t be right.”

The club currently relies on co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, who guided Chiefs to a promising start this season. Their campaign, however, has faltered in recent weeks, with the team now out of contention for the Betway Premiership and eliminated from both the CAF Confederation Cup and Nedbank Cup.

Motaung Jnr recently set a minimum target of securing a CAF Champions League spot for the next season, a goal that would require a top-two finish—a scenario that now appears increasingly unlikely.

In an interview with iDiskiTimes, Motaung Jnr acknowledged the urgency for improved performances, underlining that the club is scrutinising all aspects of its footballing structure.

“It’s not just about coaches, it’s not just about players, it’s about our whole footballing structure… We know we want to be in the CAF Champions League next year… there’s a lot of work being done right now as we speak,” he said.