Sheppard Says It’s Time Local Coaches Get Their Chance

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Dillon Sheppard has joined other legends who have called for local coaches to be given chances in coaching roles rather than going for foreigners.

Sheppard was brought to Chiefs by Gavin Hunt who was sacked before Stuart Baxter’s return. The former Bidvest Wits player continued as assistant under the Scottish coach and was announced as the right hand man for Arthur Zwane yesterday who’ll be leading Chiefs from next season.

“There is always going to be a lot of negativities when we speak about building our own. I think it is time that local coaches get their opportunity,” says Sheppard.

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“Yes, it is huge coaching at the big clubs, but this is what we have been prepared for. We have come through youth development and now got the opportunity.

“Yes, there will be noise out there of people underestimating us. The most important thing is the planning, and this is something that has been put into place.

“We have the opportunity to prove now that we are good enough to be where we are. There are going to be bumps along the way and that is normal but as long as we put the right structure in place and with the right planning then I think moving forwardd will be a lot easier.

“We are going to be criticised and that is normal. We got to have a shield and be a bit stronger and stick to our beliefs because that is going to be important,” says Sheppard

“In 2006 when I was playing in Greece, I had the opportunity to come back to South Africa. I have never really told this story before. I had a choice. I’m not going to say where (Sundowns) I ended up because you know where I ended up, but my choice was to join Kaizer Chiefs.

“Unfortunately, the coach (Ernst Middendorp) at the time had other plans and I ended up joining the other team.

“You know what they say, in football, they say you go full circle, so I have now had the opportunity to join Kaizer Chiefs as a coach.

“Like coach (Zwane) was saying earlier I have come full circle because we have played against each other and then got the opportunity to play with each other with the national team and coached against each other.

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“I remember the game of a 4-3 in the Diski League. I think you have seen the picture where the coach is consoling and hugging me after I felt really bad.

“But our relationship, which is probably the most important thing, is the relationship between each other. I think that is the first thing before the ideas and all that we have wanted to implement. We have grown stronger together. Suppose I could explain our day. We get to work at seven and end at seven because we have the youth in the afternoon. It is just passion all day,” says Sheppard.