Last season, reports surfaced about racial divisions at Kaizer Chiefs.
In November last year, former interim coach Cavin Johnson played down the reported racial tensions at the club.
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Now, Siya sources have indicated that there were racial issues but that these problems have been resolved, as evidenced by the appointment of new captain Yusuf Maart, who will be deputized by Given Msimango.
Multiple sources within the club have told the Siya crew that management, along with others, have addressed the reported racial tensions that were causing division among the players.
"Last season there was that problem but management in conjunction with the other stakeholders at the club looked into the issue and they solved it. Now, with the appointment of Yusuf (Maart) as the captain and Given Msimango as his assistant, that makes things even easier among the players. So, for now there are no longer those racial issues at the club," the Siya source stated.
A second insider stated that the atmosphere in the dressing room has significantly improved when compared to the end of last season.
"There was an issue last season. Yes, that racial issue of favouritism and segregation as well. But now things are cool. They are back to normal. All the players are treated equally and they all feel the same now. It's good that management together with the new technical team have put things to order in terms of treating players according to their race. That's over now," the second source stated.
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A third source close to the dressing room added that the overall mood among the players has greatly improved, particularly since the pre-season camp in Turkey.
"Towards the end of last season there were a lot of misunderstandings between the players in the dressing room. There was a lot of disagreements in the dressing room last season but since the camp in Turkey, we have seen a lot of improvement regarding players understanding each other and general communication. It seems everyone is happy and the mood has improved. We are looking forward to the new season and to prove that things have changed," the third source stated.
Soccer Laduma reached out to Kaizer Chiefs for comment on the situation and the reported racial tension, but no response was received at the time of preparing this story.
