CONFIRMED! Kaizer Chiefs puts trust in Arthur Zwane as permanent head coach

Kaizer Chiefs on Thursday announced Arthur Zwane as permanent head coach of the Soweto giants.

The 48-year-old stepped in on an interim basis along with Dillon Sheppard following the departure of Stuart Baxter after just 10 months in charge since returning for a second stint at Naturena.

Zwane inked a three-year deal with Amakhosi and Sheppard will be his assistant, effective immediately, the club confirmed.

"We would like to take this opportunity and congratulate coach Arthur Zwane for this big appointment," club chairman, Kaizer Motaung, expressed as quoted by the club's official website.

"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 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.

"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 (Kaizer Motuang Jr) and Head of Technical (Molefi Ntseki) 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."

Zwane, affectionately known as '10111' during his playing days, kickstarted his professional career at Jomo Cosmos in 1992 after spending eight years in their youth systems.

The midfielder then donned the colours of Santos, AmaZulu, Dynamos and Tembisa Classic in the 1990s before making the big move to Naturena in 2000.

Zwane's time at Amakhosi was successful as he remained at the club for a decade, scoring 32 goals in 252 appearances before retiring, winning several titles, including the 2001 African Cup Winners Cup and two Premiership titles.

Amakhosi Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr, who played with Zwane 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."