Malesela questions Sekhukhune United’s decision to appoint Kaze as head coach

Former Baroka FC head coach Dan Malesela has criticised Sekhukhune United’s management for appointing Cedric Kaze after the Burundian’s time at Kaizer Chiefs came to an end.

Kaze has apparently been dismissed by Sekhukhune United after the club lost three times to Orlando Pirates, who are the most in-form side in the country and the 2025/2026 PSL champions.

Malesela said he struggled to understand the reasoning behind Sekhukhune United’s decision, but believed the club had made a mistake by hiring Kaze in the first place.

The criticism centres on Kaze’s route into senior coaching. He initially joined Kaizer Chiefs as an interpreter before being appointed co-head coach for a season. After leaving the club, he moved into a head-coaching role in his own right at Sekhukhune United.

Malesela questioned whether that progression had happened too quickly, arguing that Kaze’s previous position did not automatically qualify him to lead a team.

“I don’t understand this thing of coaching nowadays. This guy came here as an interpreter, not as a coach; all of a sudden he finds himself being made co-head coach of Kaizer Chiefs for a season, and after Chiefs he is no longer an interpreter and is now a coach,” Malesela tells KickOff.

“And right after that he finds a club to coach on his own. As a country, we are doing an injustice to ourselves. An interpreter can’t all of a sudden be a head coach just because he was asked to hold the coaching reins just for a season at Kaizer Chiefs.

“He should have been honest with himself and remained an interpreter. He was nominated for the PSL Awards, but for what reason really?

“We are joking here at home.”

Malesela’s comments come after a difficult period for Kaze and Sekhukhune United, with the club reportedly deciding to end his tenure following the three defeats by Orlando Pirates.

He also questioned Kaze’s nomination for the PSL Awards, asking what had justified the recognition given his rapid transition from interpreter to head coach.

The former Baroka FC manager said the situation reflected wider concerns about how coaching appointments are made in South Africa. In his view, a temporary spell holding coaching responsibilities at Kaizer Chiefs should not, by itself, have led to Kaze being appointed as a head coach elsewhere.

Kaze’s time at Kaizer Chiefs ended before he took charge of Sekhukhune United, where he was given the opportunity to manage independently. That appointment has now come under scrutiny following the club’s results against Orlando Pirates, whose form has made them the leading side in the country and secured them the 2025/2026 PSL title.