Vela Khumalo, Kaizer Chiefs’ reserve coach, has revealed the Amakhosi’s strategy to recently promoted starlet Mduduzi Shabalala.
Shabalala, 18, is still in school and will complete his National Senior Certificate examinations this year (Matric).
Prior to the upcoming season, Arthur Zwane gave the dangerous striker a three-year contract.
Coach Vela Khumalo has recently revealed how Shabalala would balance being a senior Glamour Boy with finishing school.
“We will keep Mduduzi for now. He will go in and out in the first team. He will play the 15 minutes there and come back, because he is still at school.” Kaizer Chiefs reserve coach Vela Khumalo said.
“The program that he has is not the same as the one in the first team. The first team at times train in the morning and we train in the afternoon.
“He is studying Grade 12, so he will be in and out of the first team. It’s not only Mduduzi. About 90 percent of the players are in Grade 12.
“I am also at a school. I’m always working at school. So balancing it is not a problem.
“You always give them time for what they need to do and then you give time to do the training sessions. That’s how we do it.”
In other news, a former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates coach feels the Soweto giants have no chance this season of defeating Mamelodi Sundowns.
Last season, the Brazilians achieved an amazing domestic triple. And, according to Muhsin Ertugral, the next season will be much the same for Mamelodi Sundowns.
Despite Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates having an exciting transfer window, Sundowns appear to have surpassed them in terms of quality once again.
“One of the things we undermine in football is continuity. Mamelodi Sundowns have had continuity for five years now after winning the league in succession,” Ertugral told IOL.
“The teams that are following them (Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Cape Town City and Roy AM) are buying eight, nine or 10 players, and even more.
“And it doesn’t work like that. It will never work. It is like fine-tuning an orchestra. Everyone can play unplugged.
“But you won’t listen to that. You’ll listen to an orchestra in fine-tuning. And this is years, and years, of being together.
“From the most successful teams in the world, you’ll see there’s only two or three transfers that are made and not more.
“And then, there’s longevity of continuity and processing of the squad. So, again, I don’t think that Sundowns will be challenged in this season.”
