Sheppard has been at the club since the arrival of Gavin Hunt, having served under Stuart Baxter as well, and will continue in his role as assistant to newly appointed head coach Zwane.

Zwane, in his first job as a head coach, and Sheppard will have to ignore the noise around their experience and take advantage of the opportunity they have been waiting for.

“There is always going to be a lot of negativities when we speak about building our own. I think it is time that local coaches get their opportunity,” said Sheppard after the appointment on Thursday.

“Yes, it is huge coaching at the big clubs, but this is what we have been prepared for. We have come through youth development and now got the opportunity.

“Yes, there will be noise out there of people underestimating us. The most important thing is the planning, and this is something that has been put into place.

“We have the opportunity to prove now that we are good enough to be where we are. There are going to be bumps along the way and that is normal but as long as we put the right structure in place and with the right planning then I think moving forward will be a lot easier.

“We are going to be criticised and that is normal. We got to have a shield and be a bit stronger and stick to our beliefs because that is going to be important,” says Sheppard who also disclosed that he could have joined Chiefs as a player in 2006 upon returning from Greece.

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The 48-year-old coach was announced as the new head coach of Amakhosi after he put pen to paper on a three-year contract.

Watch: Introducing the new Chiefs Coach Arthur ‘10111’ Zwane

Zwane was in charge of Chiefs on an interim basis for the final seven DStv Premiership matches of the 2021-22 season following the sacking of former head coach Stuart Baxter.

Coach Zwane will now be assisted by Dillon Sheppard, who joined Chiefs in 2020 as an assistant coach. The two have been working together as assistant coaches over the past two seasons and have built trust and incredible synergy in the Amakhosi camp.

It’s Official! Introducing the new Kaizer Chiefs Head Coach! Arthur ‘10111’ Zwane#CoachArthur #Amakhosi4Life pic.twitter.com/ZfIQah1xBH

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) May 26, 2022

Speaking to the media, club chairman Kaizer Motaung expressed his confidence in Zwane’s ability to guide the Soweto giants to glory.

“We would like to take this opportunity and congratulate coach Arthur Zwane for this big appointment,” Motaung said.

“The plan we have been working on for many years of appointing Arthur as our head coach has come to fruition. After seeing his passion for the game and his willingness to learn, we have been looking to bring him through to lead the senior team when the time is right and we believe that time is now.

“We are also grateful that he has been patient and continued to work hard to advance his coaching skills and abilities by educating himself, which is key in the modern game,” Motaung said after the announcement.

“Arthur is the someone who grew up at Chiefs and has a full understanding of our culture. We did say last year when we appointed the sporting director and head of technical that we wanted them to work with people who understand our philosophy. This is important as the coach works closely with those two gentlemen on a daily basis.”

Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr said: “It is no secret that we have had a number of challenging seasons over the last few years. We have had to make decisive changes in leading us to what we strongly believe will lay the foundation for long-term success. We are confident that our supporters and all those who are associated with the Kaizer Chiefs brand will have something to smile about soon.

“One of the main reasons the club decided to appoint coach Arthur Zwane is his deep understanding of the Kaizer Chiefs playing philosophy and his incredible work ethic. His innovative and modern approach to the game has made him the ideal candidate to drive this unique project into the future.”

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Interim coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard decided to substitute the defender in the final 18 minutes after his error led to Siboniso Conco’s 59th minute goal, with Daniel Cardoso brought on in his place.

However, Ngcobo was not pleased with the decision. He walked past Zwane without giving him a handshake before Lee Baxter pulled him back to question his behaviour, but Ngcobo reacted angrily to Baxter grabbing his shirt as his fellow teammates had to calm him down before sitting down on the bench.

Chiefs went on to lose the game 2-1 but the main talking point online was undoubtedly the players reaction.

The club have now released a statement where the defender has apologised for his actions.

Njabulo Ngcobo Apologises To Amakhosi

“I would like to sincerely apologise to coach Arthur Zwane, coach Dillon Sheppard, coach Lee Baxter, my teammates, Kaizer Chiefs management and all Amakhosi supporters for not shaking the coach’s hand” https://t.co/poZhetkx1h#Amakhosi4Life pic.twitter.com/LaqBZzDaPd

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) April 29, 2022

Statement in full:

Kaizer Chiefs defender Njabulo Ngcobo has issued an unreserved apology to everyone at Kaizer Chiefs for his reaction at being substituted during Wednesday’s game between Chiefs and Lamontville Golden Arrows in KwaMashu.

“I would like to sincerely apologise to coach Arthur Zwane, coach Dillon Sheppard, coach Lee Baxter, my teammates, Kaizer Chiefs management and all Amakhosi supporters for not shaking the coach’s hand and for the outburst that followed after being taken off. I take full responsibility for my actions and such should not be repeated.”

The player was remorseful after cooling down and realising how bad his actions were. He also saw the reaction that followed in the news and social media.

“I am not proud of what I did,” adds Ngcobo. “It was a heat of the moment thing because I made some costly mistakes during the match and it’s not nice knowing that you’ve let the team down as a player, but that does not justify any of my actions. I promise to do better in the future.”

Coach Arthur Zwane acknowledged the apology, saying, “I understand that Mr Ngcobo’s emotions got the better of him and it happens in our game. We will try and work with all the players to make them understand where they are, because everyone is watching and this brand demands that we all act professionally on and off the field.”

The rest of the matter will be discussed and dealt with through internal process by the Club’s football management.

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