Bobby Motaung clarifies changing responsibilities alongside Kaizer Motaung Jr at Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung says he and Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr have clearly defined roles and continue to work together despite changes to the club’s leadership structure.

Bobby remains involved in overseeing the club’s football operations, but his younger brother has assumed greater responsibility for technical matters as Chiefs modernise their internal structures.

Speaking on Marawa Sportsworldwide, Bobby acknowledged that the two positions are similar but explained that their daily duties differ.

“Kaizer is the Sporting Director – a similar role with mine, but it’s more in-depth because he is closer to the coaches,” he said.

“I’m more at a high level in terms of overseeing and giving the experience. He’s coming with modern ideology, modern things that I can’t do.

“Technology is now big in the game of football, and Kaizer is more on the technical aspects of things than myself and he is working closer with the scouts. I’m more of an admin, high-level advisory. He’s more on the technical aspect of the operation.”

Under the current arrangement, Kaizer Motaung Jr works closely with the coaches and scouts, while Bobby’s focus is on administration, oversight and providing experience and advice.

Bobby also rejected suggestions that the brothers’ different responsibilities had caused tension at Naturena.

“We don’t clash. We collaborate, we work together. Everything that we do, decision-making, we are together in terms of giving review and constructive criticism,” he said.

“He makes certain decisions which we either support or disagree with. But those are internal operational things that we deal with. But mostly we collaborate, we work together.”

His comments offer an insight into the evolving structure at Kaizer Chiefs, where Kaizer Motaung Jr has become increasingly involved in the technical side of the club’s operations.

The discussion also addressed the issue of succession, with their father, Kaizer Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung, continuing to guide the organisation he founded.

Bobby played down the idea that an immediate succession plan had already been established.

“Not really, the succession plan will go with time because at the moment we are all trying to find our footing in terms of the brand with the guidance of the chairman,” he said.

He also insisted that the club’s future should not be framed around one person preparing to replace the chairman.

“If I can say succession plan is Bobby wants to be the chairman, no, no, that won’t be right. The chairman is here. The chairman is still alive,” he added.

Bobby recognised the responsibility involved in protecting the legacy of Kaizer Chiefs, one of South Africa’s most recognisable football institutions since its formation in 1970.

For now, he says he and his brother have separate areas of responsibility while remaining united in their efforts to move the club forward. The Motaung family’s challenge will be to ensure that the structural changes result in sustained progress on the pitch.