Chiefs told off on Ntwari saga – If Bvuma was better, why didn’t he start?

Kaizer Chiefs technical team has been slammed for ‘belittling' Fiacre Ntwari in Sunday's Carling Knockout's Round of 16 defeat to Stellenbosch at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

The two teams failed to cancel each other out in both the regulation and extra time, inviting the shootout. A minute to the penalties, Amakhosi technical team, led by assistant coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, wanted to replace the Rwanda custodian with Bruce Bvuma.

However, Ntwari blatantly refused to be subbed, leaving the technical team with egg on their faces, but they eventually had to eat humble pie.

Club legend Motsau Setlhodi has now told off the coaches, stating it was unfair to sub Ntwari when he had done nothing wrong on the pitch, and that it was okay to stand his ground despite calls to get off the pitch.

What were you doubting in Ntwari?

“He [Ntwari] was right [in refusing to be substituted]. How can they take you out? I mean, the score was 0-0. He did nothing wrong; he kept a clean sheet,” Setlhodi said in his recent interview with FARPost.

“If you take me out as a goalkeeper, what are you doubting in me? What are you doubting in my abilities? They were going to belittle him. He was right. I was also going to refuse to go out.

“They did not have any evidence to show him a mistake he committed in the game. Also, if Bruce Bvuma was better, why did he not start the game? I stand by Ntwari. Well done to him,” he concluded.

In his post-match interview, Kaze stated that the situation will be solved internally. It is interesting to see what action will be taken by the Soweto giants, who will return to action on October 18 in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup's second preliminary round against DRC's Simba.