Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has been waiting for this moment for almost two decades.
The moment is certainly right for this Vodacom-sponsored club to reward its fans with silverware for the first time in years as they look to overcome another hurdle in a semifinal against Orlando Pirates this Saturday on their journey to Nedbank Cup glory. And the moment is right for Zwane to be the man to take them there.
There is certainly a sense of destiny building towards Saturday’s Soweto derby at FNB Stadium, where a victory would make Zwane the most successful South African coach in the last three decades of derby history with three victories.
But it goes beyond this for the man who has done everything and given everything to reach this point in his coaching career.
“I’ve been preparing myself for this. In 2006 I said in an interview that one day I will coach Kaizer Chiefs. At the time people thought I was dreaming, but it’s good to dream and to also be a man of action. Even when I worked with the development players, I used to remind them that one day I will be the head coach of Kaizer Chiefs, and it’s up to them if they want to come with me or not.
“I knew I was going to be the head coach of Kaizer Chiefs, and be successful. The management put their faith in me. My dream came true. So it’s now up to me to ensure we do the right thing, and that’s to turn things around,” Zwane said on Wednesday.
The chance to reach personal coaching milestones with Saturday’s game is not lost on Zwane.
“This is one game you can’t easily get used to. It comes with a lot of responsibility. There is a lot at stake. But to maybe be the most successful South African coach in the Soweto derby puts a smile on my face. Especially when I think about the history of this club.”
But Nedbank Cup glory is also important to Zwane for the impact he believes it will have on some of his young players.
“For the players who are new in this team and who are not used to winning cups, I want them to experience that feeling and to understand what Kaizer Chiefs is all about. It would be great for those players to lift a trophy in their first season. So it’s very important for us to get to the final and win it.”
There is no doubt those young players are just as hungry. The 19-year-old Mduduzi Shabalala has made this very clear.
“It’s been a long time since Kaizer Chiefs has won a final. I’m in my first season and it would be a great experience for me to get to that final and win it. We want to win it. This is the generation to bring the silverware to Kaizer Chiefs, and it’s going to start on Saturday,” he said.
The club has been waiting for this. The fans have been waiting for this.
Zwane has been waiting for this.
“I’ve always been waiting. It’s been my journey, and along the way I’ve learned from a lot of people. I’ve been on the coaching courses, and I learned from some of the top coaches that have been at Kaizer Chiefs. I’ve coached from under-17s and at every level through to reserves and now the first team.
I was patiently waiting and working hard to empower myself. I would leave here at 11pm sometimes. I didn’t have my own life. Even the management was a bit worried at some point because I was always here working, even on Sundays. But my family knew I had to invest fully in this dream. I don’t think many of my peers would’ve had that kind of patience to wait this long.
“But now this is the time for me to show that I’ve always been ready for this moment. This is a perfect opportunity for me, and for the players who have never lifted a trophy in their careers.”