Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has provided insight into the club's approach to the development of 19-year-old sensation Mfundo Vilakazi, explaining why the young talent is still being gradually integrated into the first team and not yet ready to play a full 90 minutes.
Vilakazi, who has impressed this season, has been utilized as a second half substitute in 12 of the 13 matches he has featured in.
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In Wednesday's 2-1 comeback win over Stellenbosch, Vilakazi once again came off the bench, this time as a first half substitute. He made an immediate impact by assisting the third goal of the match, which was scored by Wandile Duba.
Despite his undeniable talent, Nabi emphasized that the club is taking a cautious and patient approach with Vilakazi's development.
"He's a talent from the Academy of the club. He's only 19 years old, and I would say that his development, even his physical development, is not yet like 100%," Nabi explained to the media after the match.
"Which means that we need to protect the player. We need to give him time that's gonna allow him to showcase himself."
The Chiefs boss also acknowledged the importance of balancing Vilakazi's game-time in order to avoid rushing his progress.
"We believe that he doesn't yet have the consistency of playing 90-minute games in succession without time to recover. We feel that those minutes he's getting are going to give him the confidence, the momentum, as well as the physical status he needs," he said.
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