Kaizer Chiefs’ inconsistency is confusing players, says former PSL coach

Kaizer Chiefs’ lack of consistency, including frequent changes to their coaching staff, is leaving players confused, according to former PSL coach Tony De Nobrega.

The club have struggled to keep pace with rivals Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates in recent years, with the two sides continuing to compete for major honours. Chiefs have won only one trophy in the past 11 years, a dramatic decline from the period when they were among the strongest teams in South African football.

De Nobrega, who previously coached Bloemfontein Celtic and Vasco Da Gama, does not believe the main issue is the quality of the players recruited by Chiefs.

Instead, he says the team have been unable to build momentum because their performances have been too uneven.

“I do not think they can get going amid all the inconsistency in the team,” De Nobrega told KickOff.

“They are performing in patches. For 20 minutes, they look very good, but then their performance drops. They are not consistent at the moment.

“There is no rhythm in what they are trying to do. They need to regain consistency and secure two or three results, and then they will be back in contention.”

Chiefs are also attempting to establish themselves under a new coach while incorporating a number of new players into the squad. De Nobrega believes that process requires time, particularly when the team must adjust to a different tactical approach.

“When a new coach takes over a whole group of new players, it will always take time to integrate them with the existing squad,” he said.

“They need to adapt to the coach’s preferred style of play, and that will not happen overnight.”

De Nobrega identified the regular turnover in the technical staff as a further obstacle to progress at the club.

“Every year, there are too many changes at Chiefs. There is no consistency in the technical staff, so the players are confused because each season they have to adapt to a new coach and a new style of play.

“There is no consistency,” he added.

Kaizer Chiefs dropped two points on Tuesday after drawing with Stellenbosch FC in a Betway Premiership match at FNB Stadium.

The result left Amakhosi in fourth place on the log as they continue to search for the sequence of results De Nobrega believes could help them return to the battle for honours.