This past week it has become more evident that a division has opened up within Kaizer Chiefs fans, tagged Anti-Mangethe and Pro-Mangethe as the tenure under Arthur Zwane matures.
The team has recently won two on a trot by beating Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates 1-0 and Richards Bay by the same scoreline but the season as a whole has been very inconsistent.
We spoke exclusively to Sir Tshemedi as he is a loyal Chiefs superfan, who has tried to explain where this problem originates and why there is a clear divide.
“There are Anti-Mangethe vs Pro-Mangethe factions developing within the Kaizer Chiefs supporter base, especially on social media,” Tshemedi told ThisIsFootball.Africa.
“The anti-ones are the fans that didn’t want Arthur Zwane’s appointment when he was hired in May last year. They also believe those supporting Zwane are allegedly “eating custard”, as in getting benefits from the team or someone at Chiefs. I believe that this is all speculation because I haven’t seen anyone receiving things from the club.”
Recently after their 3-2 loss against Lamontville Golden Arrows in Polokwane, Zwane, also known as Mangethe, was escorted off the pitch by the police. This is a sign of the ‘landmine’ that is developing at Naturena. The supporters are clearly not happy with the current state of affairs.
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“Kaizer Chiefs supporters have been divided since Zwane’s appointment because some wanted other candidates like Benni McCarthy or Pitso Mosimane and while there were others happy with Zwane being the permanent coach, ” continued the teacher by profession.
“There are also those who are saying, ‘What has he done to develop certain players?’
“Others are claiming that Chiefs don’t have a coach.”
“I think the divide will remain there for a while and the drought does not help Zwane at all.”
In another incident the highest goalscorer Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana was jeered by fans after a poor performance. Despite scoring seven goals for Chiefs this season, Bimenyimana is yet to score in 2023, with fans calling for him to be subbed at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium this past Saturday – and Zwane obliged.
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“I really wish to see coach Mangethe taking the players’ game to the next level,” concluded Tshemedi.
“It’s not a secret that there’s talent in that squad more especially with the likes of Mdu Shabalala in the mix.
“This will definitely boost the confidence of DDC players like Mfundo Vilakazi. Personally, I feel Coach Mangethe has done better, especially when you look at the injury list.
“There are games that I feel we could have collected points such as TS Galaxy, Arrows, Sekhukhune, Chippa and AmaZulu.
“You win 3 of those then you could have been in the driving seat for that CAF Champions League spot.”