An Orlando Pirates star has been singled out as the player who could lead the team to challenge for the league title if used ‘effectively’, according to his mentor.
After scoring Pirates’ equalising goal and proving to be influential in their 3-1 win over Maritzburg United in the Nedbank Cup at the weekend, Kabelo ‘Shuffle’ Dlamini had the fans and pundits impressed with his performance.
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The 24-year-old midfielder’s mentor from the Stars Of Africa Football Academy, Farouk Khan, believes that the Buccaneers have a player who can assist the side to challenge for the league title.
“I called him Shuffle because Jabu Pule (Mahlangu) brought him to me when he was quite young. The first time I saw him I realised that he was a visionary. He is a very intelligent player and he sees a pass that you and I won’t be able to see. He’s got superb vision and is very good in decision-making. He is technically very astute, and he is a player that reminds me a lot about Steven Pienaar when he was young. Remember I took Steven to the school when he was very young. He also had those qualities where he could see a pass and could string passes together,” said Khan, speaking to the Siya crew.
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“I was very surprised when Pirates didn’t use him extensively when they had the likes of (Gabadinho) Mhango and the other quality layers like (Thembinkosi) Lorch and them. He is a player that can put them on the ball, and they can score many goals. Had they used him effectively, Pirates would be now competing for the league and that’s my personal opinion,” Khan added.
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