Should Chiefs Rely On Youngsters To Produce The Results ?


By Neo Poho

With 18 matches played so far in the DSTV Premiership, Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs see themselves occupying the 5th spot on the DSTV Premiership table with just 27 points.

Amakhosi returned to their winning ways last time out defeating Royal AM 2-0 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

Having fielded a relatively young squad, Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane was delighted with the performance of the team bouncing back from a run of poor results.

The big question now remains, should Zwnae still continue to put his trust on the youngsters or not ? Well I certainly believe so because these are the players that better understand the culture of Amakhosi.

Mduduzi Shabalala.

The 19 year old who has came through from the ranks of development football at Naturena is a center forward that is exciting on the ball and adapts quickly to the style of play he is instructed to deliver.

Shabalala made his debut for the senior team against Maritzburg United last year and scored a goal in the 90th minute, becoming the youngest player in the club's history to score a goal in the PSL era.

Ever since that day Shabalala has never looked back featuring in Amakhosi's six league clashes, I believe his ability to create space for himself and also score goals will earn him a good name in Amakhosi's history books in the future.

Not only is Shabalala able to create chances and score goals however he is very skillful too and Chiefs need a skillful player in the attacking force to dispossess the opposition players. 

With coach Arthur Zwane still in the process of building a squad worthy to compete domestically I believe he should add Shabalala in his future plans because he is one of the young talents Chiefs should invest in to reap great rewards in the later future.

Nkosingiphile Ngcobo.

Another youngster that I know will play an integral role in helping Kaizer Chiefs to be consistent in the middle of the park, the 23 year old left footed player is the next Themba Zwane at his peak.

Nicknamed "Mshini" which means a well oiled machine, Ngcobo is exactly what Arthur Zwane needs for the short passes and transitional football going in front, his hunger to breakthrough the opposition team with skill and finesse is exactly how Themba Zwnae does it at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Ngcobo is also a great free-kick taker with his dangerous left foot and poses a lot of threat on and off the ball by making runs in dangerous areas particularly in the 18 yard area.

Paired with the right combination Mshini will help Amakhosi win titles.

Samkelo Zwane.

Although he has not received enough game time so far, but another interesting prospect for me is Samkelo Zwane, the 20 year old is a promising defensive midfielder for Amakhosi.

Having made his debut against Stellenbosch FC coming on as a substitute, Zwane advised and mentored well can be as prolific as Tinashe Nengomasha was during his days at Chiefs.

The lanky midfielder has an ability to read the game with precision despite being under pressure, he also has good communication skills and that is what is required particularly as a defensive midfielder.

Being able to pass and create a goal scoring opportunity is another strong reason why I believe Zwane might just be the next Nengomasha along with his ability to head the ball during corner kicks.

With Njabulo Blom having left Amakhosi to MLS side St. Louis City, I would fancy Mangethe to fill that space with confidence and willingness to succeed.

Amakhosi just like Barcelona have a coach that has played for the team before and conquered during his playing days.

Xavi's first spell at Barcelona was not great however having gotten rid of majority of the older players and implementing a new system of youngsters, the Catalan giants are currently leading in the La Liga standings with 47 points after 18 matches.

So in the same manner as Xavi has trusted the youngsters like Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, Arthur Zwane should also be given a chance to prove that youngsters will bring back the glory days at Naturena.

The biggest problem a team with older players will have is when the player gets injured and sits out for the longest time, a youngster that hasn't been given enough game time is expected to fill the shoes, how will they execute when they are only brought on when there's an "emergency" ? 

So with that said I certainly believe Chiefs should not sell nor loan out the youngsters coming through from the development side however give them enough game time because they come already knowing the structure of the team and they are willing to add more to what they were fed in the development side.

Amakhosi now have two relatively young strikers with Caleb Bimenyimana and Christian Saile looking to influence and work together as a strong forward unit, so with the midfield already full of youngsters I foresee a better and rejuvenated Chiefs side in the next couple of matches starting with TS Galaxy on Sunday afternoon.

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Kaizer Chiefs

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