Today’s Kaizer Chiefs news wrap looks at Lebohang Maboe’s fitness, Fernando Da Cruz’s future, Aden McCarthy’s lucky transfer twist and Steven Mendes’ rise to the first team.
Did McCarthy get lucky?
Following a winter move to Azerbaijani outfit Sabah FK, it’s been a steady growth curve for 22-year-old defender Aden McCarthy. The former Kaizer Chiefs man scored his first goal in Europe’s elite club competition, the Champions League, on Wednesday night in Sabah’s 1-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund. Sabah beat Slavia Praha 2-0 on matchday 2, their first ever win in the competition. Some local online chatter speculates that McCarthy earned his big move to Sabah because his agent has a strong European passport, and therefore has easier access to contacts on the continent. It’s a theory, for sure.
Kaizer Chiefs playing catch-up and it’s October
After just eight games of the new Betway Premiership campaign, Kaizer Chiefs are already trailing leaders Sundowns by nine points, and Orlando Pirates by eight. They’ve only triumphed in one of their last seven clashes across all competitions. With just a solitary piece of silverware in the last 10 years (a Nedbank Cup triumph in last year’s final against Pirates), it’s difficult to escape the conclusion that Chiefs are horribly underachieving, given their fanbase and huge financial might. If results don’t improve quickly, it’s easy to envisage Da Cruz being sacked before Christmas. If they’re out of contention for CAF Champions League football, that should be the final nail in his coffin. Next up for the Glamour Boys is a Telkom Knockout clash against TS Galaxy at Soccer City on Tuesday, 27 October at 19:00. Playmaker Lebohang Maboe is still unavailable through injury.
Mendes is one to watch for Kaizer Chiefs
18-year-old Steven Mendes won the Golden Boot at the recent COSAFA U20 tournament in Maputo, Mozambique. Mendes, nominally a midfielder, was converted into a striker for the event. He’s nicknamed ‘Stevie G’ by some teammates and could feature for the senior side sooner rather than later. After all, Vela Khumalo knows what he’s talking about when it comes to talented youngsters.
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