Chiefs ready to unleash young duo?

Vicky Mkhawana and Mfundo Vilakazi are in line for senior promotions at Kaizer Chiefs as the preparations begin on the new campaign.

Regardless of the future of Arthur Zwane, it appears that the young pair are in line for the big call up to the first team.

Chiefs have an eye on Vilakazi

As the DStv Diski Challenge has gone on, one player who has regularly caught the eye is Mfundo Vilakazi, who has long been touted as a future star for Kaizer Chiefs.

In addition, SA age-group international Vicky Mkhawana has been widely praised for his prodigious talents, with the teenager having scored three goals in four games during the U17 AFCON tournament in April.

It now appears that the three youngsters are in line for ‘promotion’ to the senior setup, with popular online publication Unplayable stating that Mkhawana has signed a three-year deal.

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Meanwhile, according to Phakaaathi, Vilakazi is also being prepared to play first team football from next season.

“Mfundo is being well monitored at the club and there is a lot of planning around him,” said the insider. “He is one of the most talented players at the club and he works very hard. He wants to play in the DStv Premiership, seeing how Mdu (Shabalala) is doing. But he has to be prepared and that’s exactly what’s happening, you don’t throw youngsters in the senior team without preparing them because they might crack.

“I have seen a lot of players come out from the development teams with a lot of potential, but they ended up not living up to expectations. You can see even with Mdu that he was well monitored and prepared mentally and physically to play in the first team. So, with Obrigado (Vilakazi), it is the same thing. They are letting him shine in the reserves and be ready for the pressure in the senior team. So, you will see him play alongside Shabalala next season.”

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CAUTION HAS BEEN ISSUED

Earlier this year, Chiefs reserves coach Vela Khumalo issued a stern warning about rushing the youngster too soon, while highlighting the importance of offering the necessary support to Vilakazi.

“Let us not rush into saying the boy is a star. He’s young and talented. He’s a player that we want to build. We want to build him over time until he becomes a better player we believe he can be,” Khumalo told FARPost.

“Ultimately, we want to prepare him for the first team. It’s just a matter of time, and it’s a working progress for him to get to the desired level that we want him to reach.”

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