Yeye, Katsande relive Chiefs partnership
KAIZER Chiefs legend, Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane, has revealed the secret behind his memorable midfield partnership with former Warriors captain, Willard Katsande, at the South African Premiership football giants.
Katsande is also an iconic figure at Chiefs where he also wore the captain’s armband.
Midfield partnerships are not remembered as much as offensive unit combinations even if they can be just as beneficial to a team.
But, Yeye as Letsholonyane is fondly called in the South African football circles struck an understanding and a solid partnership that is still being talked about, especially against the background the struggles that Chiefs are going through.
Chiefs have fallen from grace and are currently a mid-table side.
Yet ironically during some of their glory days, Katsande and Letsholonyane made a formidable which was the basis upon which the team’s success was built.
One’s absence due to suspension or a medical setback Chiefs appeared a different side.
The duo won two championship titles with Chiefs in 2013 and 2015 lending credence to the legendary statuses they enjoy at the club.
Katsande was a tough tackling ball winner and Letsholonyane earned his stripes for his ability to cover every blade of grass on the pitch as he was the definition of a box-to-box midfielder.
Ensuring stability in Chiefs’ midfield was their common denominator as they possessed equal energy to cause havoc in the center of the park if need be.
Letsholonyane told Zimpapers Sport that their brilliance birthed a huge ego.
“I think I enjoyed this partnership because Katsande was more of a baller winner and he was always ready to let me do much with the ball. We enjoyed our responsibilities and the most important thing was the respect and love we had for each other.
“We had a good understanding of our roles and within the team’s structure as well, playing next to Katsande is something I will always cherish.
“There was also a time when others tried to divide our partnership with many negative opinions and it created a room for ego to breed but as focused partners we did everything possible to keep our eyes on the prize,’’ he said.
Katsande also fondly recalls the midfield partnership with Letsholonyane, which he describes as the best of his career.
“I enjoyed football more when I played alongside Yeye, he was very calm and he was also the reason why it was quite easy for me to shine at the club.
“I think our partnership was the best and we have many unforgettable memories including winning major titles for the team,’’ said Katsande.
It’s also fair to say that by their standards, the Chiefs midfield was the same when Letsholonyane left Amakhosi to join SuperSport United in 2016.
Katsande was left to solider on and he eventually left Chiefs at the end of the 2021 campaign after serving Amakhosi for a decade.
Letsholonyane, also retired from playing professional football in 2021 but Katsande stayed in the game for one more season at Sekhukhune United before calling time on his career.
Like many ex-players, Letsholonyane has ventured into coaching and been drafted into the technical team of the South Africa’s Under20 team. His former partner Katsande, is still working on his coaching badges but dreams of taking charge of the Warriors and Amakhosi.