Chiefs' Sponsorship Extension Draws Attention
"The brand doesn't stand for winning on the field only. We are an excellent business and we stand for excellence on and off the field."
Those were the words of Kaizer Chiefs marketing and commercial director Jessica Motaung as the Soweto giants announced the renewal of their partnership Medshield Medical Scheme, which is one of the club's main sponsors, for another three years on Thursday.
The news of sponsorship renewal created a lot of debate in the football fraternity as some critics questioned how the club was able to draw sponsorships while the team has been struggling on the field, although some understand that Amakhosi are a big brand and excellent off the in how they conduct business in relation to sponsorships.
Results On The Field A Major Talking Point
In May 2022, Chiefs made a big decision when they officially appointed Arthur Zwane as the team's head coach on a three-year deal.
The decision was lauded by many in the fraternity, including the multitudes of Amakhosi supporters who had been longing for a South African-born mentor and a club legend to be entrusted with leading the side.
So far in the current campaign, Zwane has led the Glamour Boys to 11 wins, four draws and eight losses, going into their next match this Saturday against Stellenbosch FC.
The Soweto-born coach has also led the team to the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup, where they will be playing against Royal AM mid-April.
Former Chiefs striker Fees Moloi discusses the team's progress under the ex-winger in relation to their ability to attract sponsorships.
The Good
"Arthur Zwane is coming alright with the team in terms of improving the results and the position on the log. I remember predicting at the beginning of the season that although he won't win the league, he will make it to the top five or around there. I think in the beginning he struggled with combinations, but as the time went on and after he welcomed some signings, he's managed to get things right and there has been some progress. Now I say, the team has got a chance to finish in second place on the log to qualify for the CAF Champions League. I remember before the recent match against (Orlando) Pirates when people were saying that the game was meaningless as (Mamelodi) Sundowns had opened the gap, I said it was not meaningless because there was a CAF spot to play for. Now that there's been news on sponsorships and so on in the team, maybe the club will be rewarding the players with bonuses and stuff to encourage them to improve their performances," said Moloi.
The Bad
"The only concern for me, which I am not scared to speak about is that, as the South African football supporters we like to jump into conclusions quickly and we don't have patience. Maybe the question we should be asking is, who do we rightfully call supporters? Do we call everybody supporting Chiefs a supporter, or are we talking about the card-carrying supporters? But I did my research and found that the people who talk a lot aren't the card-carrying supporters but just the others who claim to support the club. I don't get bother by such people because anyone supporting Chiefs should be a member in order to be taken seriously in my opinion," he said.
The Ugly
"I like making an example by two individuals in world football when it comes to discussing coaches and they are Pitso Mosimane and Mikel Arteta. When Pitso Mosimane first joined Sundowns, he wasn't doing well in terms of the results. The supporters didn't seem to appreciate him and there were instances where police would be involved at the stadium during matches. (Patrice) Mosimane stuck with the coach and gave him a chance until he got things rights. Where is Pitso Mosimane now? With regards to Arteta and when he started at Arsenal, he didn't have the best of starts and people were calling for his head and wanted him out. (Pep) Guardiola spoke highly of him and pleaded for him to be given a chance and look at where Arteta is now. Here in Mzansi we don't have patience and we need quick results. We have a microwave mentality because with a microwave you can cook a delicious meal in only two minutes," added Moloi.
Summary
"In conclusion, I would like to say we can never go anywhere with our football if we prefer taking short cuts in anything we do. I think she (Motaung) was spot on when she spoke about the brand (not standing for winning on the field only) because everyone can see that Chiefs hasn't been doing well on the field for some time now. So, where does the sponsor come from? A sponsor isn't only about the results on the field but other aspects like how the management of the club handle themselves and how the fans behave and so on. The sponsor will look at what will be received in return and all those aspects. Chiefs has multitudes of the fans around the country and those are the things that are looked at when sponsorships are being acquired. The only thing missing at Chiefs are consistent results which are good and you will see people will be back at the stadiums to support the team," concluded Moloi.
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