Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi has explained why he is excited about what he is seeing in the Amakhosi team of late.
The Soweto giants have given more of their development products a chance to prove themselves in the first team and they’ve risen their hands. The likes of Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Happy Mashiane and Darrel Matsheke have shown that they are players Amakhosi can put their hopes on for the future.
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Chiefs have in the past promoted players such as Jabu Pule (now Mahlangu), Junior Khanye, Gerald Sibeko, Isaac Mabotsa and Nkokozo Sikhakhane and Nkosi is hoping that the good old days of players coming from the development are coming back.
Hunt is likely to give the Chiefs development products a chance in the Soweto Derby on Saturday, January 30.
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“It’s positive that they are getting a chance to play. That’s one that you need to do if you want to bring up youngsters, to make the development effective. You have to play them. If you don’t play them, then next thing they are going to get loaned out and you are going to see them in other teams and then they struggle to bring them back,” Nkosi said at a Babize Bonke press conference for the Soweto Derby earlier this week.
“So, it’s important that they are now playing a role, be it from a combination of the number of players they have in the team or the coach being someone who believes in youngsters and also the policy of the team to try promote players. I think that’s why they also put Arthur Zwane in the first team, to try help with that transition. It’s something very positive and I am hoping we are going to see more, like the olden days where we used to see an influx of players who were coming up from the development and later on becoming stars.”