By Kgomotso Mokoena
Johannesburg – While the entire country was being ravaged by the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, it was a sense of double jeopardy for the die-hard supporters of Kaizer Chiefs.
The country’s most successful club was going through what many supporters of the club would argue was the toughest time in their 50 years of existence.
What was supposed to be a whirlwind year of celebrations turned into despair and shame.
When everyone was losing family members, friends, colleagues and loved ones to the coronavirus pandemic, Amakhosi were losing their stature, shine and glory.
They were barred by world governing body Fifa from signing players after major administrative blunders from the club’s office.
After topping the PSL table from day one, losing the title in the last 30 minutes of the season would have felt like a spear in the hearts of their supporters.
Even up to this day, Chiefs fanatics have still not forgiven then coach Ernst Middendorp for turning them into such a laughing stock.
Sheepishly, the German-born Middendorp left the Chiefs camp with his tail between his legs at the end of the season.
They then appointed the decorated Gavin Hunt as their new coach.
Hunt’s CV speaks for itself; he is a known achiever with four PSL league trophies in his coaching career, with lesser glamorous clubs nogal. But eish, his start was not as rosy.
He arrived at a club that was at its lowest when it comes to morale and confidence.
Senior players such as Willard Katsande, Lebogang Manyama, Itumeleng Khune and Bernard Parker were showing signs of fatigue and had lost their leadership qualities.
The youngsters were like lost sheep; they had no sense of direction and everyone was pulling in different directions.
To put it bluntly, there was no material for Hunt to work with and he had to improvise and pull a rabbit out of his magic hat.
It was also puzzling how the very same players that challenged for the league honours in the previous season became mediocre overnight. Results were not forthcoming and it was not long before the once mighty Amakhosi were languishing in the relegation danger zone.
The supporters were stunned. Hunt was stunned. He had no answers and could not even buy a win even if it was presented to him on a shopping trolley.
But Hunt is no quitter! He worked hard and gave the young lads Happy Mashiane and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo a chance.
Together with Njabulo Blom, Darrel Matsheke and Siyabonga Ngezana they repaid Hunt with some excellent performances that have now catapulted the club back to where they belong.
The return of Chiefs’ deadly Serbian forward Samir Nurkovic has also added fuel to their attack.
Before this past weekend’s match against Stellenbosch FC, they recorded impressive three wins in as many matches, something that seemed impossible at the beginning of the campaign.
The supporters will be enchanted that the team is back, and they are performing.
Hunt is slowly finding his winning mojo and the youngsters are staking their claim in the team.
At the end of the season, they will be able to buy players and add some steel into the team. When that happens, the jokes, the taunts and will be a thing of the past for throngs of Amakhosi faithful.
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