Will defiant Fiacre Ntwari be benched when Kaizer Chiefs return to action?
Fiacre Ntwari may face being benched by Kaizer Chiefs after defying coaching staff by refusing substitution during a Carling Knockout match, with internal discussions expected to address the issue before their upcoming Caf Confederation Cup game against Simba. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BACKPAGEPIX
With the local Betway Premiership teams taking a breather for the international break, it’s quite possible that Kaizer Chiefs keeper Fiacre Ntwari may find himself warming the bench when action resumes.
Ntwari refused to be substituted before the looming penalty shootout in his side’s Carling Knockout match against Stellenbosch FC over the weekend, and Chiefs said they will deal with the matter internally.
Bruce Bvuma had been ready to take the field ahead of the shootout, but instead he had to put his jacket back on and watch the action from the sidelines.
Chiefs would go on to lose the shootout, and Ntwari stood out as a clear act of defiance towards his coaching staff.
Ntwari Refuses Substitution: Behind-the-Scenes Issues at Chiefs
It beggars belief that a player can simply refuse management’s instruction to be subbed, and for me it points to another example of things not being right behind the scenes.
It meant after the exit, Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze not only had to attempt to explain the defeat but why his gloveman would not listen to the call to be substituted.
He didn’t really. He said his decision, along with fellow assistant Khalil Ben Youssef, to pull Ntwari was simply ignored, but that: “It was coming from a good intention. Maybe the way wasn’t as good as it should be, but it’s something that we will address internally.”
It seems then that Chiefs will most certainly give Ntwari a dressing down, but it’s unlikely the public will be privy to what goes behind closed doors at Naturena.
Instead, Chiefs fans likely expect Ntwari to not be in the starting team for their next fixture which is their Caf Confederation Cup clash against Simba in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.