FIVE best Kaizer Chiefs coaches in the PSL era

Kaizer Chiefs have had some great coaches over the past 55 years, but the focus here is on the five best coaches since the inception of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Only two coaches in the club’s history have won the league title within the last 30 years, indicating a lack of consistency.

While the club enjoyed success in terms of trophies since their formation, everything changed in 2015 when Stuart Baxter left, leading to a decade without any silverware. The trophy drought came to an end in May when they won the Nedbank Cup.

Here are the top five coaches of Kaizer Chiefs:

1. Ted Dumitru

The late Romanian coach led Amakhosi to their first PSL league title in the 2003/04 season. Nicknamed “Master Ted,” Dumitru successfully defended the title the following season in a memorable campaign. During the championship race, Amakhosi managed to overtake the season-long leaders, Orlando Pirates, in the last game of the season.

Dumitru was praised for his strategic approach to matches and for inspiring Amakhosi’s late-season surge.

2. Muhsin Ertugral

Ertugral is one of the most iconic coaches in the PSL era. He won six major trophies during his time at Naturena and is best known for leading “Operation Vat Alles” in 2001, which saw Chiefs clinch every cup competition in the league.

Kaizer Chiefs had some of the best coaches

3. Stuart Baxter

Baxter’s first tenure saw him win four trophies with Amakhosi, and he became the second coach after Dumitru to win a league title for the team in the PSL era. He left abruptly in 2015 but returned in 2021, although he was unable to replicate the success that saw him guide the Glamour Boys to two doubles.

4. Paul Dolezar

Known as “Mr. Rothmans Cup,” Dolezar claimed three consecutive Rothmans Cups, winning two back-to-back with Chiefs. While he struggled to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title, many believe that with more time, he could have led the team to a league championship.

5. Ernst Middendorp

Mazinyo’s first stint with Amakhosi was a mixed experience; he won the Absa Cup and the SAA Super 8. He returned to the club a decade later in 2018 and came close to winning the league.

Middendorp is one of the few Kaizer Chiefs coaches to lead the club to a second-place finish in the PSL era. Unfortunately, he was dismissed after losing the title in the final 15 minutes of the season.