Mduduzi Shabalala is one of the finest prospects to come out of Naturena in some time. Image: @kaizerchiefs / Twitter.
Time for a tough chat about Kaizer Chiefs star Shabalala
Mduduzi Shabalala is a darling of the Kaizer Chiefs supporters and rightly so. We still need to have a quick conversation about him though.
Mduduzi Shabalala is one of the finest prospects to come out of Naturena in some time. Image: @kaizerchiefs / Twitter.
In today’s Kaizer Chiefs Monday column, we’re going to have a difficult conversation about fan favourite Mduduzi Shabalala.
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The Glamour Boys huffed and puffed but failed to blow the house down when they faced Chippa on Sunday in a goalless draw. The Chilli Boys didn’t exactly park the bus either, and had chances of their own on the break. There were encouraging moments from Christian Saile on the right-hand side of the Chiefs attack, but that’s as good as it got for Molefi Ntseki’s men. The fit-again Nkosingiphile Ngcobo looked understandably rusty, and Mdu Shabalala’s decision-making in the final third and shooting were both poor. Starting from the left-hand side flanking Ranga Chivaviro, he spurned the best chance of the game with a hastily-taken shot when Chiefs were gifted the ball in a dangerous area.
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Does Mdu Shabalala need a break?
It sounds ridiculous to suggest a player needs a spell out of the side after one match, but it could be the case with 19-year-old Mduduzi Shabalala. He’s a darling of the fans, and rightly so, but a few games on the bench could be beneficial. He is certainly good enough to start and shine for a club of this magnitude, but it’s also completely normal for young players to need a little time away from the limelight. Pressure can affect anybody, even a player of this young man’s considerable talent.
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A small hiatus from the fishbowl atmosphere of life in the Chiefs starting XI could be just what Mdu Shabalala needs to return to his sparkling best.
Meanwhile, hit up James Freemantle for more insights, analysis and love for the beautiful game of football.
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