Mduduzi Shabalala is one of the finest prospects to come out of Naturena in some time. Image: @kaizerchiefs / Twitter.
Big opinion: Kaizer Chiefs star Mdu Shabalala needs a wake-up call
Mdu Shabalala has become an important first-team star for Kaizer Chiefs. There are one or two things he needs to address in his game though.
Mduduzi Shabalala is one of the finest prospects to come out of Naturena in some time. Image: @kaizerchiefs / Twitter.
Kaizer Chiefs fell to a disappointing Soweto Derby defeat against Swallows, leaving their two two PSL hopes in tatters. Mdu Shabalala produced a good performance, but there are areas for improvement.
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Mduduzi Shabalala needs a wake-up call
To lay the blame of a defeat on an emerging 19-year-old isn’t fair and that’s not what’s happening here. In fact, the talented teenager provided the assist for Christian Saile’s goal, hit the crossbar and even produced this outrageous bit of skill:
Mdu needs to knit it all together
However, he was also accused of countless instances of wastefulness as well. We all know how good Mdu Shabalala is, but we need to see it for a full 90 minutes now. Mdu is a wonderful YouTube player with enjoyable highlights reels but the next step is for him to be a reliable performer for the duration of a match. Shabalala didn’t start the recent defeat at Sekhukhune and perhaps that’s a sign of his importance.
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Kaizer Chiefs in desperate need of a lift
Amakhosi don’t have a particularly big squad at the moment with numerous senior stars out injured or out of favour. Shabalala might not be in the best form of his life, but Arthur Zwane needs him in forthcoming tests against Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United. A fit, focused and firing Mduduzi Shabalala can only be a good thing for the Glamour Boys.
Where to from here? Surely the Nedbank Cup semifinal clash with Orlando Pirates is now a must-win affair for Arthur Zwane and his team. It’s going to be an intense week in and around Naturena as we build up to that titanic clash. Mdu isn’t going to be dropped for this game, but Chiefs need a big performance from him.
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Hit up James Freemantle for more insights, analysis and love for the beautiful game.
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