In Saturday’s Soweto Derby, we saw Kaizer Chiefs lead 1-0 and 2-1 thanks to two ruthless finishes from Ashley Du Preez. The big-money signing from Stellenbosch FC has missed big opportunities in recent weeks but we saw the best of him against Orlando Pirates. Considering the large fee paid to acquire his services, are Amakhosi getting the best out of their speed merchant? Why had he only scored one league goal prior to this weekend’s showpiece? Soccer Laduma looks at his general performances since arriving in Naturena and asks if the team and the playing style at large should be built around their attacking talisman.
Recap of last season
When we did our annual Kaizer Chiefs end of season player ratings in May, Ashley Du Preez was given a credible 7.5 out of 10. Big things were expected of him having cost a reported R10 million. By the end of the campaign, he had nine goals to his name and a further five assists. Whilst it felt like a good return, the feeling was that he would build on those returns this season. Most would agree that he started life slowly in a new environment and with different teammates and a contrasting playing style to adjust to. His first 16 matches yielded just three goals and perhaps concerningly, a mere 27 shots. He was being used as a dribbler in wide areas by Arthur Zwane, which was in contrast to what he was doing before for Steve Barker. It was only in last February’s Derby where we saw Du Preez excel as a central striker. That move led to a strong second half of the campaign with six goals. Was there a plan to continue that work this term? It doesn’t appear so with Ranga Chivaviro acquired and used in the starting XI in that number nine role under Molefi Ntseki.
