Arthur Zwane – ‘10111’
Zwane is a surname synonymous with South African football. Arthur Zwane, now a coach, upheld the family name with distinction as one of the greatest wingers to ever wear the Kaizer Chiefs jersey.
Where was he born?
He was born on the 20th of September 1973 in Meadowlands, Soweto.
Early career
Soweto, South Africa's largest township, has a rich history of producing exceptional footballers who have achieved great success.
Growing up in the township, Zwane played for his uncle's team, Liverpool, named after the English Premier League club. This served as a foundation for his professional career, which took off after joining the Jomo Cosmos youth academy.
Senior club career
- Jomo Cosmos
After excelling in the Jomo Cosmos youth ranks, Zwane was promoted to the senior team in 1992. To gain more playing experience, he was immediately loaned to Real Rovers.
He returned to Jomo Cosmos the following year and made his debut in the BobSave Super Bowl quarter-final against Giyani Classic in 1993 under coach Roy Matthews.
- Orlando Pirates
Traditionally, players who excelled at Jomo Cosmos were more likely to join Orlando Pirates than Kaizer Chiefs or Mamelodi Sundowns due to strong ties between the two clubs.
Following his time at Cosmos, Zwane transferred to Pirates but had a short-lived spell there. He was subsequently loaned to Dynamos in the second division.
- Tembisa Classic
After his departure from Ezimnyama Ngenkani, his next stop was Tembisa Classic where he probably had his best stint compared to all he had before.
His exceptional speed earned him the nickname “10111,” a reference to a police van.
- Kaizer Chiefs
In 2000, Stanley Shabalala, then coach of Kaizer Chiefs, identified Zwane's talent and secured his services for a transfer fee of R25,000.
Zwane's career was marred by a two-year ban after testing positive for Methyltestosterone. This ban was later reduced to six months.
Otherwise, he spent 10 glittering years at Naturena, making 244 appearances and scoring over 46 goals in the process.
He helped the club win 2001 BP TOP Eight, 2001 Coca Cola Cup, 2001 African Cup Winners Cup, 2003 Coca Cola Cup, 2003-2004 PSL, 2004 Coca Cola Cup, 2004-2005 PSL, 2005-2006 ABSA Cup, 2006-2007 SAA Supa8 Cup, 2007-08 Telkom Knockout and 2008-09 MTN8.
He then hung his boots in 2009 and embarked on coaching career.
Coaching career
- Qualifications
Right after calling it a day in football, Zwane began taking his coaching badges. He has UEFA B Licence Coaching Badge, as well as CAF A and B Licence Coaching Badges.
- Junior football coaching
He was subsequently hired as a development coach at Chiefs, where he focused on identifying and nurturing young talent.
Zwane was appointed as the reserve team coach when the MultiChoice Diski Challenge was introduced.
- Assistant and head coach jobs with senior team
During the 2020/21 season, Zwane was appointed as assistant coach to Gavin Hunt. Following Hunt's departure, he took over as interim head coach.
He returned to the assistant coach role when Stuart Baxter was appointed, but the Scottish coach also left the club before the end of the 2021/22 season.
In May 2022, he was given a contract as Amakhosi head coach. Unfortunately, his tenure was unsuccessful, lasting only one season before he was demoted. Molefi Ntseki subsequently took over the role.
In October, Zwane left Chiefs and joined AmaZulu FC as a co-head coach along with Vusumuzi Vilakazi.
Zwane’s current job
Zwane commenced the current season as a senior academy coach at Chiefs, responsible for all age groups, ensuring compliance with the club's philosophy, and playing a role in the scouting department.
This transition followed his demotion from the head coach position at the conclusion of the 2022/23 DStv Premiership season, as Amakhosi failed to overcome their challenges, having not secured any silverware since 2016.
He has departed Naturena to assume the co-head coach position at AmaZulu FC's senior team, alongside Vusumuzi Vilakazi, after the dismissal of Pablo Franco Martin and his assistant Aitor van den Brule.
He arrived at the KwaZulu-Natal-based club with extensive coaching experience, having served as a coach at Chiefs and occasionally with the national team since his retirement in 2010.
Apart from his tenure at Chiefs, this marks the first club he will be associated with in his career within the Premier Soccer League.
Zwane now sole head coach at AmaZulu
Zwane is now a sole head coach at AmaZulu following the departure of Vilakazi who was his co-coach. ‘Kanu’, as Vilalakazi is widely known, resigned, citing personal reasons.
Usuthu have played four matches under his sole leadership, winning one, drawing one and losing two.
This is his second job as a sole head coach having also led Amakhosi in the 2022/23 campaign.
Arthur Zwane’s wife
Zwane is married to Mpho Raven Dube who is a businesswoman, running catering and transportation business.
Arthur Zwane’s Children
While it’s unknown how many children Zwane has, in 2022 he and his wife Mpho welcomed a baby with the gender not revealed.
