Former Tefu Mashamaite believes Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef were set up to struggle from the moment they took charge at Kaizer Chiefs.
The pair stepped in as Amakhosi co-coaches until the end of the season after replacing Nasreddine Nabi in September.
Despite guiding Chiefs to a third-place finish in the Betway Premiership, reports suggest the duo will not be offered new contracts for next season.
Kaizer Chiefs to let coaches go
Mashamaite, however, believes the two coaches deserve more time at the club.
“I feel the two coaches have done really well, but their biggest disadvantage is that Kaze came in as Nabi’s translator; that’s the label attached to him. He is always going to be viewed that way,” said Mashamaite.
“Ben Youssef was Nabi’s assistant, so the club and fans will always look at that.”
The former Kaizer Chiefs captain believes the duo proved their capabilities during their short stint in charge.
“If you take away all these titles, they actually proved themselves and transformed the team. If you look at the spell they had over the past two months, and the kind of games they played against Pirates and Sundowns, I think Chiefs were getting somewhere,” he told Soccerbeat.
Mashamaite also feels South African football still places too much emphasis on big-name coaches instead of long-term structures and identity.
“We are still living in a culture where we are always looking for a big man, a big name, to come and solve our problems,” he added.
Kaizer Chiefs have secured third place under two coaches
He pointed to former Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro as an example of a relatively unknown coach who succeeded through building a strong foundation.
“Look at Jose Riveiro. He came to Pirates as a no-name, but what he built there was formidable. I think right now they are on the verge of winning the title because of the foundation he laid.”
Kaizer Chiefs host Chippa United this weekend looking to end the season on a high.