Junior Khanye has commended Thabo Cele for his strong performances since joining Kaizer Chiefs in January, but asks questions about how Nasreddine Nabi uses him.
The midfielder, who arrived from Fakel Voronezh in Russia, has played regularly and made significant contributions to the team's progress.
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Cele was the Man of the Match in Chiefs' 3-1 win over Stellenbosch FC as the team secured a spot in the semi-finals.
He also featured in the recent 0-0 draw against Cape Town City, showcasing his consistency and value to the team.
Khanye highlighted Cele's potential, noting his technical ability and solid background, having played in prominent South African youth academies and spent considerable time abroad. However, Khanye expressed concern over the environment surrounding Cele, suggesting that the current coaching staff, led by Nabi, may not be maximizing the midfielder's talents.
Khanye argued that Chiefs have often failed to make the most of players due to questionable coaching appointments, which may limit the team's ability to get the best out of high-quality players like Cele.
"For me, he (Cele) has fitted in like a glove although I am concerned about the players around him. There is no doubt that the boy is a good player and was properly developed. He played at the Stars of Africa Academy and KZN Academy, and he has been playing overseas for the better part of his professional career. He is a South African international and there is no doubt about his quality," said Khanye, speaking exclusively to the Siya crew.
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"But we have seen players join Chiefs before while on top of their game, but they failed to deliver according to the expectations. It depends on who is coaching these players. In my opinion, Chiefs get it wrong with the appointment of coaches, because most of the time the coaches they have had fail to make the best out of the players signed by the club. The culture of the team has been lost.
"Back to Cele and his quality, that's indisputable, but who is he playing with in this current Chiefs team? Technically, the boy is very good, and I have always known this about him having followed him while playing for the junior national teams. After he joined Chiefs, I just needed to see if he would be able to show the class he has always showed elsewhere, and I have been convinced that he has, and he has added value to the club. All in all, Thabo Cele has fitted in well at Chiefs and is doing well, but unfortunately, I don't think he is playing under a coach who believes in ball-playing players in (Nasreddine) Nabi. For me, Cele should at least make the preliminary squad for Bafana Bafana (for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers)," concluded Khanye.
