Bobby Motaung remains part of Kaizer Chiefs leadership, despite changing role

Bobby Motaung says he has not withdrawn from Kaizer Chiefs’ management structure, but now provides support and experience to the club’s current leadership as football becomes increasingly shaped by technology and specialised roles.

Motaung has traditionally worked as the club’s Football Manager, with responsibilities including the recruitment of players and the appointment of coaches. Speaking on Marawa Sports Worldwide on Wednesday, he said he remained fully committed to Kaizer Chiefs and could not distance himself from the club or its legacy.

“There’s certain things we can’t step aside from, the Chiefs legacy, the chairman’s legacy,” said Motaung.

“I’m part of the family. I’m part of the organisation. I’m serving the organisation. We’re serving. The game has grown. The challenges have grown. There’s more hands in the game.”

He said the modern game involved more technical demands, changing processes and new forms of technology, meaning his role had evolved rather than disappeared.

“There are more technical issues happening. There are more dynamics. There are more new technologies. Things are happening,” he added.

“The game has grown, but you give a chance to change and to grow, old school is there, but remember, there’s new things happening, technology and others.

“So my focus is more about giving back with experience and supporting the new generation. And I think the new generation, for them to learn and to know, it takes a bit of experience.”

Motaung said experience was built through difficult periods and insisted he would remain involved with Kaizer Chiefs regardless of the title attached to his position.

“Experience you only gain when you go through thick and thin, but I’m there as the elder one. I’m there through and through. I’ll never depart. I’ll never be away. I’m part of the system.”

Motaung says football structure has changed

He added that formal titles were less important than respecting the structures and protocols of a modern football organisation.

“Titles are titles, but if you’re in the game of football, I can be a goalkeeper, I can be a striker tomorrow, I can be a coach but the issue is respect of protocols and titles that are happening now and everything,” he said.

Motaung said the club’s leadership continued to work collectively, including within the Sporting Director structure.

“But I think, as a family and as an organisation, we respect each other. We respect challenges that are there, and we respect the growth. I mean the Sporting Director roles now have to follow certain protocols but we work together.”

He also rejected the idea that he would disappear during difficult periods, telling Kaizer Chiefs supporters that he remained involved even though recruitment and decision-making were now supported by wider structures.

“We are together and one thing I’ll tell people, and I’ll tell South Africans, and I’ll tell Kaizer Chiefs supporters that I’m within the thick and thin of things. It’s not that when things are tough, I’m going to hide away. I’m there with experience.”

Motaung said scouting systems, structural development, Sport Science, analysts and artificial intelligence had all changed how clubs assessed players.

“You know where I come from, people used to think I sign this, I do this. So it’s not me now. There’s a scouting structure,” he said.

“I mean, you need Sport Science now. You need analysts. For me to recommend a player now I must put him on AI and then maybe he becomes the best player.

“Before we used to go to the bush, but I think the game has changed. You must also understand that technology has also changed. So the team has grown.”