After yet another trophyless season with a humiliating 10th-placed finish in the DStv Premiership, the time has come to dish out our 2023/24 player ratings, starting with Kaizer Chiefs this week. Did any players excel or meet expectations, or was it underperformance across the board at the Naturena-based club? Which members of the squad were trusted by both coaches (Molefi Ntseki and Cavin Johnson) who led the squad, and which were out of favour under one, or both, of the men in charge? Soccer Laduma investigates as every member of the Glamour Boys roster has their season assessed.
Goalkeepers
Itumeleng Khune
After 13 outings last season, this term was one of the worst of Khune's career. He only played five times with four starts and a short substitute outing against Polokwane City to celebrate his service to the club. In his four appearances in the starting XI, he failed to keep a clean sheet. He did play his first Soweto Derby since 2018, ending a run of five years without featuring in Mzansi's biggest match. The abiding memory of this campaign will be his internal suspension for off-field indiscretions.
Rating: 3/10. The end for Khune at Chiefs has been coming for a while. The question is whether he signs for another club to continue his playing career or whether he retires.
Bruce Bvuma
Last season was a nightmare for Bvuma, having a run of just one start in 34 matches at one stage. His first five years as a Chiefs first team player saw just 37 outings before finally a full 19 matches in the 2023/24 campaign, playing every single match from late November until the end of the season. In his first seven league starts, he kept six clean sheets and there were often excellent saves to help Amakhosi win matches by one-goal margins. A particularly memorable example was a reaction stop in a 1-0 victory vs Polokwane City.
Rating: 7.5/10. Bvuma should have done enough to make the number one jersey his own next season.
Brandon Petersen
After playing 21 of Chiefs' 38 matches in the 2022/23 season, he also began this term as first choice and even captained the side. However, he made too many big mistakes including in the last minute to lose to Mamelodi Sundowns and then again against the Brazilians in the MTN8. Things continued to go badly for him with a poor pass leading to a goal against Golden Arrows. Off the field, he had a public disagreement with Cavin Johnson and later he received a red card as a substitute against TS Galaxy, which led to a three-match suspension.
Rating: 4/10. Whilst a good character in general, Petersen has not shown himself to be dependable enough to be more than a number two for Kaizer Chiefs.
Defenders
Reeve Frosler
Having been such a regular under Arthur Zwane, this season was a strange one for the man who turned down a move to Europe. He only played 56% of the league minutes available. After shackling Thapelo Maseko in fine fashion early in the season and playing almost every game up to the AFCON break, he found himself either omitted, injured or shunted to left back from March onwards. He had off games defensively against Pirates and Sundowns and it seemed like Johnson lost some trust in him.
Rating: 6/10. He initially defended very well, showing improvements in that area. A disrupted 2024 has seen him play much less and Chiefs have really missed a prime Frosler at right back.
Dillan Solomons
His first season at the club saw mixed displays at right back and some unconvincing outings as a winger. He did manage to make 26 appearances with nearly 1,800 minutes on the pitch. Things went downhill in his second season with just four starts and 11 other outings from the bench. Molefi Ntseki barely gave Solomons a kick and Johnson initially only threw him on as a winger late in matches. He got four starts late in the season, including playing in the poor away defeats to Chippa United and Richards Bay FC.
Rating: 5/10. This was a season very much on the periphery. It's fanciful to imagine him nailing down a starting spot next season and he could be at risk of an early release.
Sifiso Hlanti
After really showing his age towards the end of last season, it was a shock that Chiefs didn't strengthen the left back position in the transfer market. His season was pretty underwhelming as he remained a starter by default. Hlanti played in the mid-season streak of clean sheets but he stopped getting forward and his very tough outing against Devon Titus in April looked like the end is nigh.
Rating: 6/10. This is now a problem position for Chiefs and a new left fullback is needed.
Happy Mashiane
The speedy left-footer is nearing 26 years of age, yet he still can't establish himself. He made three starts last season but this campaign only yielded two starts, one of which was a good outing at left back against Moroka Swallows where he was unlucky not to keep his spot. He got almost an hour as a winger against Polokwane City in Round 29 without having much effect.
Rating: 5/10. He has barely played in the last three seasons and needs to leave for the good of his career.
Thatayaone Ditlhokwe
The Botswana captain had a tough first season at Naturena. In the early weeks, he was a first-choice selection but whilst he defended strongly, his lack of ball-playing comfort was exposed. A shoulder injury kept him out for nearly six months and his return was not an easy one, leaking five goals against Mamelodi Sundowns. In all, he won nearly 70% of his aerial duels in the DStv Premiership but it's questionable whether he fits the style that Amakhosi want to play. His 17 starts led to just five clean sheets.
Rating: 6/10. The left-footer will have to become much more confident on the ball next season to remain a starting XI option.
Zitha Kwinika
After playing the fifth-most minutes of the entire squad in his first season, Kwinika has played almost 1,000 minutes less this past season. Having been used mostly as a central defender a year ago, 14 of his 15 starts this time around have been at right back. His only start in the heart of the back four was in a 3-2 loss in the Soweto Derby in March. He also moved into the middle as Chiefs leaked five second-half goals against Sundowns. He won over 60% of his duels and tackles but offered almost nothing going forward from fullback (just one successful cross in the PSL).
Rating: 6/10. He looks to be a fringe player who can plug gaps, but Chiefs probably expected more when they paid R3 million to bring him back.
Njabulo Ngcobo
After so many errors last season, this one was make or break. "Roadblock" ended up with just 853 minutes on the pitch in all competitions. He started eight league matches. He started three in a row at one point with Chiefs losing two of those. He did help Amakhosi to clean sheets against Royal AM and Golden Arrows but didn't keep his place in the starting line-up. His late-season chances were due to suspensions for Edmilson Dove and Given Msimango with five goals leaked in three starts for Ngcobo.
Rating: 5/10. In general, he could never quite take his chances or assert himself on the coach. A move away to play regularly would be the logical choice for all parties.
Edmilson Dove
After an inconsistent first season with some top outings and some mistakes, Dove faced increased competition for a place after Ditlhokwe arrived. Partly due to the latter's injury, he started 15 of the 30 DStv Premiership matches. He may have played quite a bit more if it had not been for two red cards and a total of six matches in the stands due to suspensions. His first four starts came at left back and he looked to be lacking the energy to play that role. Overall he helped the side to five clean sheets in his 10 PSL starts in the heart of the defence.
Rating: 6/10. He arguably looked more comfortable than Ditlhokwe as the left centre back. His presence was missed as Chiefs leaked three goals against Pirates and five against Sundowns when Dove was suspended.
Given Msimango
The arrival from TS Galaxy had a strong first season, culminating in being named in the Bafana Bafana provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. No player in Amakhosi's squad played more minutes overall, and Msimango managed 80% of the league minutes despite a late-season suspension. That ban came from a red card against Sundowns as he made a rash challenge. After starting his Chiefs career well, he was left out for two matches in October. Nevertheless, he ended the season as captain and largely looked a good fit, despite having to play alongside several different partners.
Rating: 7.5/10. He was arguably Chiefs' most consistent player and helped the team to a strong run of clean sheets at one stage. The bigger problem is who should partner him next term!
Central midfielders
Sibongiseni Mthethwa
Amakhosi moved to sign "Ox" very late in the transfer window, after they had already played nine matches. They clearly felt more steel was needed in their engine room. His early outings left a lot to be desired as he struggled in a sitting role where he was tasked to initiate attacks in deeper areas. As the season went on, he was given more license to get around the pitch and make challenges. His tackle and interception numbers are impressive, and it was his high pressing which led to Ranga Chivaviro's goal against TS Galaxy. In the final match, he made a poor pass from a deeper area which led to Cape Town Spurs scoring.
Rating: 6/10. After a poor start, he ended the season quite strongly. Does he suit the passing style that Chiefs want to play, though?
Yusuf Maart
Overall, Maart did well in his first season and started 34 of Amakhosi's 37 fixtures. He netted four goals, did well in a few different roles (number six and number eight) and formed a strong pairing with Njabulo Blom. This past season he was much less consistent and his minutes also dropped quite significantly. Towards the end of the campaign, he was largely conspicuous by his absence from the starting XI as Siyethemba Sithebe and Mthethwa started. He did skipper the team on 10 occasions, but a low point was playing much of the 5-1 loss to Sundowns at right back.
Rating: 6/10. The new coach has to find a role where Maart can use his passing range and not have to focus solely on protecting the back four.
Nkosingiphile Ngcobo
"Mshini" missed the last 16 matches of the 2022/23 season with injury and only started six times overall under Zwane. To see him get just 691 minutes was a real pity and he was taken off in all nine of his starts. After barely a sighting of him under Ntseki, Johnson's arrival saw a run of seven straight league starts at one point. He scored against Richards Bay and had some effective outings when used as the number 10. Johnson unfortunately played him on the flank quite a bit where his impact was minimal. Injury ruled him out of the final 10 fixtures.
Rating: 6/10. With so few minutes and so many injuries, it is difficult to gauge whether Ngcobo is still developing. In the last three seasons, he has played about the same number of minutes in total as he did in his 2020/21 breakout campaign.
George Matlou
After disappearing in late October of his first season, this campaign was eerily similar. He wasn't seen at all after early November, having been involved regularly under Molefi Ntseki. Matlou had played three matches in a row and was one of the best performers against Sekhukhune. However, injuries took their toll on the skilful number eight once again.
Rating: 5/10. His time at the club may be up, but there is clearly a good player there.
Siyethemba Sithebe
The selfless midfielder was a prominent player for Arthur Zwane, especially once Njabulo Blom departed. This season saw him frozen out and just about written off after Castillo and Mthethwa were acquired. He finally came back into the fold due to suspensions in late March and earned praise from Cavin Johnson on more than one occasion. He started nine of the final 10 PSL matches, albeit with just one victory to his name.
Rating: 6/10. The rebirth late in the season may just have saved Sithebe's league career. He is a steady rotation option but should not be starting long stretches of fixtures.
Edson Castillo
If we rated the Venezuelan midfielder's season up until November, he would be around the 8.5 mark. He had scored five goals by then, adding an aerial presence in the box as well as a powerful shot from distance. Things since then have been distinctly average. Perhaps his head was turned by interest from North Africa or the arrival of Mthethwa caused balance issues in the engine room. He didn't score once from December onwards and he only started three of the final 10 league matches.
Rating: 6.5/10. Castillo looked like Chiefs' best player and then became a peripheral figure within matches. Amakhosi must ascertain whether he can recapture his form or whether his mind is on a transfer.
Mduduzi Shabalala
After breaking onto the scene last year, this was a much more difficult campaign. Ntseki only started him once in the first 13 matches and the arrival of Johnson proved a Godsend. He started 11 of the next 22 fixtures, often as a narrow winger where he struggled to have much impact. When he was returned to a more natural number 10 role, we saw flashes of his ability to find shooting positions. He scored against SuperSport United and netted a penalty against Sundowns. The fact that he was not trusted to face Masandawana was perhaps an indication of how he is seen in the squad.
Rating: 6/10. To an extent, Shabalala stagnated this season. He was not used to his full potential and the new coach will hopefully see him as a pure number 10.
Mduduzi Mdantsane
The former Chiefs development man was signed for a relatively big fee in the off-season. His goalscoring had been declining at Cape Town City and he didn't net on a single occasion for Chiefs in the 2023/24 season. Ntseki initially picked him often but a long spell in the wilderness followed. A sudden Soweto Derby start in March saw him play some lovely passes on the counter-attack. Johnson didn't seem to rate him and the season petered out with very little positive effect on Chiefs' fortunes.
Rating: 5/10. For the fee paid, a lot more was expected. He has already been linked with an exit and this signing never made sense with two to three other options for the number 10 role already in tow.
Forwards wingers
Tebogo Potsane
The speedy winger was initially a regular in the XI, starting seven matches early in the season. He performed reasonably well, assisting goals with a fine cross against Sundowns and in the match against AmaZulu FC. He fell down the pecking order towards the end of Ntseki's time in charge and disappeared once Johnson took the reins. He only played once in the final 21 matches of the season, and overall, his acquisition has not worked out.
Rating: 5/10. Whilst he still has a contract at Chiefs, he may be someone who the club looks to move on to pastures new.
Ranga Chivaviro
Off the back of a 17-goal season for relegated Marumo Gallants, the 31-year-old was a bit of a punt from Chiefs. Overall, he netted four goals for the season in just over 1,000 minutes. After his equaliser against Sekhukhune in December, he was only handed a starting berth in two of the next 10 matches. In round 27, he scored twice against TS Galaxy including a direct free kick. but played the full 90 minutes just once.
Rating: 5/10. The experienced forward was a squad player who featured for 39% of the available league minutes. It remains to be seen if he has earned a second season at the club.
Keagan Dolly
After only showing flashes in his second season (six goals, five assists), this term was a very disappointing one for the former Montpellier playmaker. He managed just 469 minutes with no goals and one assist. After many months out, he returned from knee surgery in October and played seven of the next 11 matches, not really excelling. A toe injury in early March ended his season with Chiefs having almost nothing to show
Rating: 3/10. With all of his injuries and lack of consistent form, renewing Dolly's contract for anything more than 60% of what he is getting now would be a questionable call.
Ashley Du Preez
The speed merchant's first year at Naturena was pretty decent and he got a 7.5 rating for the 2022-23 campaign thanks to nine goals and seven assists. The season just ended was nowhere near as good. Neither Molefi Ntseki nor Cavin Johnson got the best out of him and his record of 338 minutes per goal scored and just six goals in total was a letdown. Due to his versatility, he has shifted from left wing to right wing to number 10 to centre forward, often within the same match. He also continued his habit of missing some gilt-edged chances when through on goal.
Rating: 5/10. Amakhosi need to do much more to unleash their biggest weapon next season. It's time for Du Preez to have a 15-goal season under whoever the new coach is.
Christian Saile
The Congolese winger showed real promise in his first six months at the club. The last year has seen him feature very regularly as he was the only member of Chiefs' squad to feature in all 30 league fixtures. When you consider that he started 20 matches across all competitions with a further 15 substitute outings, a return of just four goals and three assists is a let-down. Cavin Johnson wasted him in a central role or on the left at times when his best role is as a right winger. He netted just once in the final 19 fixtures of the season and usually flattered to deceive.
Rating: 6/10. The powerful left-footer needs to do much more next season if Chiefs are going to finish in the top four.
Wandile Duba
Duba's six brief outings from the bench didn't qualify for a rating last term. After being completely ghosted by Molefi Ntseki, Cavin Johnson gave the striker some chances. There were three league starts, a goal against Golden Arrows, and nine shots attempted in 289 minutes of field time. He certainly worked his socks off and was unfortunate to be hooked at half-time against Stellenbosch before falling out of favour.
Rating: 6/10. The teenager has something about him and should be fully integrated next season, making the matchday squad more often and having more consistent outings.
Jasond Gonzalez
The well-built Colombian forward arrived on loan for the season. By the end, he had scored no goals and had played less than 500 minutes. Early in the campaign, he was involved quite a lot and he started in round four and five against Royal AM and SuperSport United. Cavin Johnson tried to give him a chance around the turn of the year, but eventually gave up as the final 15 fixtures yielded just 35 minutes of pitch time.
Rating: 4/10. This loan didn't work at all, and it just took minutes away from Duba and Chivaviro.
Pule Mmodi
After two years of being linked with Chiefs, they finally got Mmodi on board. He played the third-most minutes and made the second-most appearances across the squad. Therefore, a return of four goals and four assists was somewhat underwhelming for a player of his quality. At times, he looked a classy performer with his link-play, but we saw him dribble far less than he did in an Arrows shirt. In too many of the big games, he underperformed and didn't take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Rating: 6.5/10. He had a decent enough season, but much more output is expected next term. There is a nagging worry that Chiefs got him two years too late.
No Rating
Sabelo Radebe
The midfielder has made just six substitute outings in the last two seasons. This past campaign he only had 32 minutes on the pitch, and he desperately needs a move to re-ignite his career.
Luke Fleurs
The silky defender tragically lost his life in April. He never made an appearance for Chiefs in an official match.
Samkelo Zwane
After making an impressive 10 starts under Arthur Zwane, the 2023/24 season was a wasted year. The midfielder has eight sightings from the bench, but they only led to a grand total of 97 minutes.
Donnay Jansen
The youngster had two appearances, including a start against Cape Town Spurs on the final day. He had a tough afternoon against winger Asanele Velebayi.
Mfundo Vilakazi
The very talented teenager had six runs from the bench for Chiefs. His minutes only totalled 185, which is not enough for a rating. There were flashes of quality, and he will surely be much more involved next term.
