In almost forty-eight hours from the time you read this, Kaizer Chiefs would start its league campaign against Benoni United on Wednesday 15/08/07 in the afternoon. This would be the same team we drew against in our first league match during the start of the 2006/7 seasons and later nailed for maximum points in the second stanza.

Well this is in the past and the sooner we bury experiences of the eventful 2006/7 seasons the better. Wednesday however sees the introduction of a new look Amakhosi following the announcement of transfer-listed players the previous week. It is these transfers that have obviously drawn a lot of reaction from experts, supporters and critics since they were publicised the previous week.

I was particularly drawn to an article in Soccer Laduma dated August 08/2007(P2) that singled out one particular player from the listed six. Without raising anything against the player, I think that such reporting was careless, destructive and disrespectful to the entire Kaizer Chiefs family and specifically to the players. The Author had written “He (Scara) is one of the players who does a great job by bringing supporters to the stadium “

I feel the article blindly ignores a fundamental principle that identifies football as a collective and a team sport that showcases the work of eleven or more players assisted by their Technical Team. Sound management and organized supporters would have supported the same team to deliver an exciting event. I therefore find it misleading for any commentator to suggest that only one player is responsible for “bringing” supporters to the stadium.

Without directing comment to the player in question, I feel it is such levelled heroism that turns some players into demi-gods or pre-Madonnas to mean that they single-handedly shoulder the responsibility of success for any team. Weak and naïve players that are singled out internalise such sentiments and start acting out characters that land them into a self-destructive path, often to the detriment of the entire team.

The statement also undermines efforts that teach our supporters not to single out players whom they perceive as their “star player” but to support the entire team at any given time. Right now we are painstakingly trying to eliminate the embarrassing gesture of wiggling arms and booing every time a player is about to be substituted. To the incoming player the booing is often motivated by the supporters’ preferred choice over which the Technical Team had selected. To the outgoing player, the booing means, “thanks for nothing, make way for our star player….”

This often means to a player who has been identified as “crowd puller” that he can bask in the glory of being revered beyond his peers and may therefore never be substituted. Sometimes the player becomes difficult and plays to the cheers of a crowd whilst compromising a systemic and team approach the Technical Team would have otherwise designed.

The article also insults the intelligence of those supporters that rally behind the entire team including its management, technical staff and the rest of playing and non-featured players. Whilst I am not naïve to notice that some supporters do have their preferred players, it is not true that a single player can be reason for filling the stadium to capacity. I personally had my favourite player; the departed maestro Ace Ntsoelengoe but he was not the sole reason I attended all matches that the team played at the height of his career. When he plied his trade abroad, I like many erstwhile supporters still filled the stadium to watch the team in action. For us it was “Kaizer Chiefs in action” and not because it boasted names like Maponyane, Ngcobo, Ndlovu, Lamola, Dlamini, Parreira, Lichaba, McGregor etc. I therefore feel insulted by some suggestion that one player in the recent brood was the sole reason for packing our stadium.

Apart from the article in Soccer Laduma, our office has been swarmed with reaction from our close quarters; our supporters that had obviously fallen into the trap of looking and singling out particular players at the expense of others. Well, I would like to state that in announcing the list, Management duly anticipated such reaction but stuck to the principle of “transformation” something that I believe South Africans have yet to embrace and understand.

In reality, it is a known factor that any process of change attracts diverse views many of which border on the ignorance to those that simply admit that change is a necessary and an unavoidable “evil”. In our case, the former seems to be reason for such incessant attacks but unfortunately, this institution; the Amakhosi; has negotiated thirty-seven years of rock-hard transformation hence its stature to date. For years, big name personalities have come and gone, trophies have been amassed and lost, disasters of losing to teams like Dalton Brothers, Swaraj etc. have passed by, yet the mighty Amakhosi is still the team to beat in the 21st Century.

I believe it is such challenges that we have overcome for us to be bogged down into a swamp of unforgiving and petrified feelings expressed over the recent transfer list. I am bound to suspect that those that have continuously hurled insults and disgust over the list are still entrapped into thinking that this was the worst and terrible mistake any Technical Team at Kaizer Chiefs would have made.

The real danger I perceive is that our supporters would treat each game with a wait and see attitude and curse all at Management, Technical Team and playing field instead of rallying collectively to urge our team forward. I therefore foresee a huge challenge on the stands if the performance of any player is to be measured against the list of transferred players. It would be bothersome if those remaining are ostracised and never given a chance that qualifies them as deserving of picking up the flag (if any had fallen).

As we gear for the season, I just wish that all supporters could work together with the team to create a winning combination throughout. As Management we anticipated that our list would draw both applause and condemnation but this has been the norm at Kaizer Chiefs not to fear challenges but to turn each as a stepping-stone towards progress and success.

I would love to see all supporters walking bravely into the stadium, instilling fear into our opposition and declaring once and for all that the club is greater than an individual. Similarly, the brand is more powerful than an individual. In the end the last men standing would be those that have seen and supported this team regardless of any challenge at any given time in history.

IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE?

I am a KHOSI 4 LIFE!!!!


Thebe Mohatle (Mr)