Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has insisted that his primary responsibility at the club has always been to ensure that Amakhosi supporters are happy.
Over the past decade, Motaung has often been a polarising figure among the club’s fanbase, with some supporters blaming him for Chiefs’ prolonged trophy drought.
The Soweto giants have managed to win just one major trophy in the last 10 years, a stark contrast to an era when silverware was almost guaranteed every season.
Bobby says Chiefs supporters blame him when the club loses
Speaking to Robert Marawa on Marawa Sports Worldwide, Motaung said he has accepted being the focal point of criticism whenever results do not go the club’s way.
He recalled a humorous yet telling encounter that highlighted how deeply fans associate him with the team’s fortunes.
“There was this granny who would be sewing while the guys were buying beers and watching the game. She wasn’t watching, just listening. Every time Chiefs lost, she would hear people shouting, ‘Bobby, Bobby! He’s making us lose,’” Motaung said.
“The granny then asked, ‘So tell me, why don’t they take out Bobby if he’s making you lose?’ Someone replied and said, ‘Bobby doesn’t play.’”
Motaung emphasised that decisions at the club are made collectively and not by one individual acting alone.
“We present, we serve. It’s not a Bobby journey where Bobby wakes up one day and says, ‘I’m buying Robert Marawa or Mbésuma.’ No, it’s collective,” the Chiefs boss explained.
“As a leader, you take responsibility and accountability.”
He added that personal recognition has never been his priority, especially during successful periods.
“When there’s success, you don’t take the glory. Your glory is seeing those people happy,” Motaung concluded.
After two poor seasons, Chiefs appear to have recovered and are now in contention for the league.