Kaizer Chiefs have sunk themselves to their worst calendar year since domestic topflight football came under the umbrella of the NSL in 1985 sending yet another scary reminder about the damage at Naturena.
Chiefs will end the year 2023 with the most defeats in a calendar year.
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Besides three coaches (Arthur Zwane, Molefi Ntseki, and Cavin Johnson) since January, Chiefs have also lost almost half of the games that they have played through this calendar year.
Amakhosi have to date played 36 games in the year 2023 and 17 of them matches have ended in defeat including six in the last eight games.
Seventeen defeats in a calendar year is new at Chiefs.
Prior to this year, Amakhosi lost 14 games at their worst in 1985 and the same number again in 1993.
Through that 1985 campaign, Chiefs had three coaches Joe Frickleton, Abednego Ngcobo, and Eddie Lewis, and finished in position eight.
Then in 2009, they lost 12 games while in the previous year they ended up as losers in 11 matches which included a cup competition defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns.
With Chiefs having failed to land the league and Nedbank Cup earlier this year before also coming stuck in the MTN8 and Carling KnockOut Cup, no trophy can be won by Amakhosi in the year 2023.
Chiefs – who last won silverware in 2015 – are going through the longest wait for silverware by any of the Big Three since 1985.
While three coaches in one calendar year at Chiefs might not be noticed by the naked eye, it has happened several times since the NSL came into existence in 1985.
In 1988, Chiefs started the year with Ted Dumitru then had Jack Chamangwana temporarily in charge before Jeff Butler took over.
Then in 1993, it was Sergio dos Santos, Nelson Dladla/Ryder Mofokeng as caretaker bosses before Geoff Hudson came in from May of that year.
Two years it was three again with Augusto Palacios, Trott Moloto, and Butler again.
Fast forward another two years to 1997, it was Walter da Silva, Wellington Manyathi, and Paul Dolezar through that calendar year.
In 2007, it was Ernst Middendorp, Kosta Papic, ad Muhsin Ertugral while in 2012 it was three again with Vladimir Vermezovic, Doctor Khumalo/Ace Khuse, and Stuart Baxter.
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The most changes happened in 2018 when Steve Komphela, Patrick Mabedi, Giovanni Solinas, and Middendorp all ran the rule at some time through that year.
Then for a more recent three changes in one year it was 2021 when Gavin Hunt, Arthur Zwane, and Baxter were assigned.