New Kaizer Chiefs striker Leonardo Castro has big ambitions for the club, but what will he contribute to the cause?
The Colombian has signed a contract with Amakhosi that will see him through to June 2020. Chiefs fans have welcomed the new recruit and he said he's ready to deliver.
"I feel happy to be here and I want to say thank you for having faith in me. I want to make history, because I play for a big team. In a big team you need to win trophies and be a champion," said Castro yesterday in Naturena, where Chiefs' new signings were officially unveiled. He will don the No8 jersey.
The trouble is that the 28-year-old last scored a goal in April last year, while he was still with Sundowns.
To make matters worse, the last time he played a full 90 minutes was in March last year.
So as much as Castro is confident of hitting the ground running, the reality is that he may struggle at the beginning.
Chiefs coach Steve Komphela admitted that Castro is still far off in terms of fitness.
"Leo, we know the qualities, but he might be [lacking fitness], because when I asked him, he said he's on six out of 10. It's not bad. We can still survive without exposing him to injuries. We will have to get him to 10 out of 10 quickly," Komphela said.
Fourth-placed Chiefs have scored just 13 goals in 16 matches, which the mentor admitted has been their big letdown.
"If you look at the log, it gives you a true reflection of what you have done - you are not scoring enough goals. Yes, you have tried to defend better, but [not] scoring, which is why, then, you can see our intervention and attempts to try to solve the problem.
"Shall we get it from the new inclusions? We hope so," he added.
Speaking of attacking players, it's still not clear how long Kabelo Mahlasela would be out for. He suffered a knee injury during his first training session last week, but Chiefs' medical team are still working on his recovery time frame.
Chiefs will face Polokwane City at FNB Stadium on Saturday (8.15pm).
Castro may not be answer to Chiefs' goalscoring troubles
New Kaizer Chiefs striker Leonardo Castro has big ambitions for the club, but what will he contribute to the cause?
The Colombian has signed a contract with Amakhosi that will see him through to June 2020. Chiefs fans have welcomed the new recruit and he said he's ready to deliver.
"I feel happy to be here and I want to say thank you for having faith in me. I want to make history, because I play for a big team. In a big team you need to win trophies and be a champion," said Castro yesterday in Naturena, where Chiefs' new signings were officially unveiled. He will don the No8 jersey.
The trouble is that the 28-year-old last scored a goal in April last year, while he was still with Sundowns.
To make matters worse, the last time he played a full 90 minutes was in March last year.
So as much as Castro is confident of hitting the ground running, the reality is that he may struggle at the beginning.
Chiefs coach Steve Komphela admitted that Castro is still far off in terms of fitness.
"Leo, we know the qualities, but he might be [lacking fitness], because when I asked him, he said he's on six out of 10. It's not bad. We can still survive without exposing him to injuries. We will have to get him to 10 out of 10 quickly," Komphela said.
Fourth-placed Chiefs have scored just 13 goals in 16 matches, which the mentor admitted has been their big letdown.
"If you look at the log, it gives you a true reflection of what you have done - you are not scoring enough goals. Yes, you have tried to defend better, but [not] scoring, which is why, then, you can see our intervention and attempts to try to solve the problem.
"Shall we get it from the new inclusions? We hope so," he added.
Speaking of attacking players, it's still not clear how long Kabelo Mahlasela would be out for. He suffered a knee injury during his first training session last week, but Chiefs' medical team are still working on his recovery time frame.
Chiefs will face Polokwane City at FNB Stadium on Saturday (8.15pm).