Kaizer Chiefs are building a highly qualified brain trust at Naturena ahead of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season. The club has officially confirmed a crucial technical role for Dillon Sheppard, who returns to the first-team setup armed with a brand-new CAF A Licence.
The elite qualification—which Sheppard completed through the continental coaching program in Tanzania—complements his existing UEFA A Licence. This dual-continental credential firmly establishes “Sheppy” as one of the most educationally decorated tactical minds in the Amakhosi stable.
A Major Milestone for Naturena
Reflecting on the grueling qualification journey, Sheppard expressed massive gratitude to the club’s hierarchy for backing his professional development.
“I’m proud to have achieved this. The journey started some time ago and came with challenges along the way, but I’m glad I’ve reached the goal,” Sheppard told the club’s media. “I’m grateful to the Club for standing by me throughout the process, and I’ll work hard to share the knowledge I have acquired with our players and other coaches within the Club.”
Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. wasted no time highlighting the structural value Sheppard’s upskilling brings to the entire Glamour Boys pipeline:
“We fully support the education and development of our coaches. Having Coach Sheppy qualified to work at the highest level in Africa with his CAF A Licence, as well as in Europe with his UEFA A Licence, means our players – both in the Kaizer Chiefs Youth Development Academy and the senior team – will benefit greatly. We are proud and happy for him.”
Sheppard Confirmed as Second Assistant Coach
Beyond the classroom milestone, the announcement brings definitive clarity to the hierarchy supporting newly appointed French head coach Fernando da Cruz.
Sheppard has officially been named Kaizer Chiefs’ second assistant coach, where he will work collaboratively alongside first assistant Mahmoud Abbas to steer Amakhosi’s senior Betway Premiership campaign.
[ Head Coach: Fernando da Cruz ]
[ 1st Assistant ] [ 2nd Assistant ]
Mahmoud Abbas Dillon Sheppard <--- (Bridging Link to DDC)
Crucially, Sheppard will maintain his vital bridging role as the strategic link between the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) reserve side and the first team. He will continue to collaborate closely with DDC head coach Vela Khumalo to fast-track academy prodigies into senior football—a structural role he mastered last season while helping lift the team to a solid third-place league finish.
