Letsholonyane: Kaizer Chiefs must strengthen players’ mentality to end trophy drought

Reneilwe Letsholonyane says Kaizer Chiefs’ struggles to win trophies are rooted in a lack of mental strength, poor continuity and a failure to recruit players who understand the club’s identity.

The former Chiefs midfielder, known as ‘Yeye’, believes talent alone is not enough to succeed at a club where every match is played in front of intense support and expectations.

Letsholonyane, 44, was part of the Amakhosi side that represented the club’s last golden generation. He left in 2016, a season after their most recent league title, having collected nine trophies during eight years at Naturena.

His honours included two league titles, the Nedbank Cup and two MTN8 trophies.

Chiefs have found success difficult to come by since that group broke up. Two seasons ago, they ended a 10-year trophy drought by winning the Ke Yona Cup, while last season they returned to the top eight after finishing in the bottom half in the previous two campaigns.

Speaking on Diski Diaries with Joe Crann, Letsholonyane said Chiefs needed to plan for the future and ensure that changes within the squad did not undermine the club’s culture.

“I think it’s important that you plan ahead,” said Yeye.

“It’s important that there’s continuity even the culture of the team is very important. It’s what contributed to the team to be where it is now. For me, I think those smaller things they played a huge role in obviously the struggles for the past years. I mean, Kaizer Chiefs used to have an easy transition in when one player goes out there’s already one in that will take over, and it does not look like there’s a change.

“When I got there, there was Thabo Mooki, there was Tinashe [Nengomasha], there was Gerald Sibeko. For me, Thabo played one season and then he retired. So, there was still these two left and then when Tinashe left and sort of retired, I was already used to how things should be done, the culture and how Kaizer Chiefs play got used to winning trophies because of the previous generation.

“I think at some point as Kaizer Chiefs we got it wrong, and I’m saying we because of I’ve been that part up until whatever happened, and then it’s still in my blood, and it’s still a team that I want to see do well.

Letsholonyane also identified the recruitment of players who do not fit the club’s style and demands as another reason for Chiefs’ decline.

He said the players who previously succeeded at the club were not necessarily the most gifted technically, but were able to work hard, cope with pressure and recover from difficult performances and results.

“It stopped in trying to get or to sign players that suit the Kaizer Chiefs brand and I think Kaizer Chiefs brand is not about being talented,” added Letsholonyane.

“It’s not. Think about it, there’s not a lot of players that were extremely talented that were signed or played for Kaizer Chiefs. Maybe a few of those that will sort of entertain supporters and what-not. But most of the players were those players that worked hard, the right attitude, can stand pressure, can overcome that pressure. It’s more of a mental thing when things are difficult.”

Letsholonyane, who also represented Bafana Bafana, said current players must develop the psychological resilience required to match their ability.

“You had those players that will overcome that obstacle of mental strength. Not that the players that Kaizer Chiefs have signed are not talented. They are talented, but that talent for me they need to build the mental capacity of matching the talent when you represent a brand like Chiefs. It’s very difficult. Kaizer Chiefs is the best team that is supported in the country, maybe also in the continent, probably. And then when you play every game the stadium is full.

“So, there’s always pressure for players to perform, and when you don’t perform, obviously the supporters will hammer you. And if you’re not strong enough to have a strong comeback, then you are gone forever. And when you’re gone forever that means the team get disturbed, and the team will not get the results because we’ll keep changing players, trying to figure out which one will do well and there’s no consistency there.

“So, it starts with the players. Players must build that strong mental attitude when you play for a team like Kaizer Chiefs. Talent, you have, you know how to play football or else you wouldn’t be playing for that team when you don’t know how to play football. It’s more mental than anything.”

Letsholonyane said his connection with Chiefs remained strong and that he wanted to see the club return to challenging for major honours.