Virgil Vries admits mistakes cost him his Chiefs place

Namibian international Virgil Vries’ brief spell at Kaizer Chiefs will most likely be remembered for costly errors that saw him fall down the pecking order and, eventually, exiting the club all together, but the show-stopper is defiant that his mistakes do not define him.

The 29-year-old old was brought up from Baroka as Itumeleng Khune’s understudy at the Glamour Boys, and was elevated to first-choice option following the Bafana keeper’s season-ending injury halfway through the 2018/19 campaign.

However, his time at the top only lasted five league matches, where Chiefs lost twice, with howling mistakes on his part responsible for the opposition grabbing the winning goal.

Having been released by the Soweto giants and, subsequently, left out of Namibia’s Afcon squad, Vries has admitted that the mistake have been detrimental to his career.

“The mistakes I made at Chiefs don’t define me. I have a choice, it’s either I keep thinking about those mistakes or I pull myself together and move on. I am confident that I will find a team soon, I want to remain in the PSL.

“I think it’s those mistakes that cost me my job at Chiefs. But I am still grateful for the opportunity to play for a team of Chiefs’ magnitude. I learnt a lot of things.”

Virgil Vries

Following his unceremonious Cheifs’ exit, Vries is currently without a club, but is looking forward to remaining in the PSL.

He has represented three other South African clubs at different levels, including Chiefs’ bitter rivals Orlando Pirates’ youth structures.