Kaizer Chiefs legend Siboniso Gaxa has pulled no punches in his latest assessment of the club’s leadership, claiming that while the squad is talented enough to win the Betway Premiership, the current coaching structure is holding them back.
The former Bafana Bafana right-back turned attorney argues that the co-coaching duo of Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef lacks the necessary stature to elevate the Glamour Boys to the level of Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
The Squad is Capable, the Bench is Not
Gaxa’s critique centers on a “profound contradiction” within the club: he believes the playing personnel is elite, but the leadership from the dugout is merely a stop-gap solution.
- Elite Potential: Gaxa insists that the current Amakhosi roster is strong enough to compete for the league title. He pointed to their competitive displays against top sides as proof that the “talent gap” isn’t the issue.
- The “Interim” Label: Gaxa noted that Kaze and Ben Youssef were brought in as part of a previous head coach’s technical team. In his view, their current roles as co-coaches are essentially “interim” by nature, regardless of whether the club has labeled them as such.
- The Missing Piece: For Gaxa, the team is currently stuck in a cycle of inconsistency because they lack a definitive, high-level head coach who can “elevate them slightly higher” to turn competitive performances into trophies.
“Chiefs have players that can win the league… but they are not head coaches, they are co-coaches. They are just there for the interim because the head coach was fired. We need to be honest about that: Chiefs need a coach.” — Siboniso Gaxa
A Critical Test Against the Champions
Gaxa predicted that the team would once again show their potential in the upcoming clash against Mamelodi Sundowns on May 6. He argues that the players naturally “rise to the occasion” in big games, but a top-tier coach is required to maintain that standard across a 30-game season.
With the race for CAF Confederation Cup qualification tightening—and Amakhosi coming off a 2-0 loss to Siwelele FC—Gaxa’s comments have added fuel to the debate over whether the board should seek a permanent, high-profile appointment before the 2026/27 campaign begins.
