Johannesburg — Kaizer Chiefs’ scouting department and recruitment strategy has been below par, and coach Arthur Zwane has found himself in a very hazardous situation.
After preaching change prior to the term, promising the fans they’ll bring in quality and remove dead wood, Chiefs rang the changes at the club's Village.
A truck full of players offloaded in Naturena, from the backline to midfielders and strikers, brought hope to those affiliated with the institution.
But such has been their rollercoaster season, the 10 new players have done little to change the culture and outlook of the team since the start in August.
So much so that it’s just Zitha Kwinika and Yusuf Maart who are regulars in the side, with the other octet juggling between the bench and the stands.
That feat of changing the team week in and week out hasn’t helped Zwane, who to this day is still unsure about his best starting line-up for the term.
“All the players that we brought at the start of the season, we believed that they were going to help us. But you can’t play all of them at once,” he said.
“We are still rebuilding the team. And yes, we can’t play some because we can only play 11 players. We also profile the game, but everyone will play."
So much for rebuilding. Chiefs have failed to keep a consistent front, having endured a three-game losing streak since the beginning of the New Year.
That has seen Chiefs withdraw from pursuit of the title as they trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who are enjoying a purple patch by 25 points.
Looking for answers, Zwane has lamented their poor finishing in front of goals, and their defensive frailties, for the poor form that has piled pressure on his future.
The club, though, recently beefed up their striking department, signing striker Christian Basomboli from Nchanga Rovers on a lengthy three-and-a-half-year deal.
Basomboli’s move to Chiefs came after a successful trial. A feat that has seen Chiefs being scrutinised for being without adequate resources for scouting.
Amid the vast modern ways of profiling players, which don’t hinge on physical observation at an official game, why are Chiefs still inviting players for trial?
“To be honest with you, we ain't conducting trials. All the players that you’ve seen come for trials, we’ve initially profiled them,” Zwane defiantly explained.
“We wanted to see them closely so that we can be sure of what we are doing. We can see him performing through footage, but that'd be from a long time.
“We try to follow that player, do a proper search and make sure as soon as he comes here, we know what we are looking for, while we refer to the footage.”
If that’s the case, Zwane can be rest assured that Basomboli will bang in the goals from the onset given that they monitored him before signing him right?
“We obviously profiled him and he’s a scoring machine,” he said. “He’s been scoring goals for his previous team and we want him to do the same here.”
The Congolese striker is yet to feature for Chiefs and is unlikely to play even when they host Royal AM in the league on Sunday due to his work permit.
However, Chiefs' fans and the entire football fraternity will be itching to see him in action as that could all but justify the standard of Chiefs' scouting unit.
IOL Sport