Kaizer Chiefs Diski Challenge coach Vela Khumalo is not concerned about the poor run they have been on in the league.
Khumalo revealed that his mandate is to prepare players to play in the first team and dominate in the Premiership in the next few years.
The coach is also urging supporters who are concerned about the results in the Diski Challenge to be patient with the players as they build something big for the future.
“I always say to people winning, for me, is when I see Mduduzi Shabalala going into the first team, Bontle Molefe going into the first team and seeing these players elevated to the next level,” Khumalo told Sowetan on Thursday.
“These boys who are playing now, I had them when they were 15 [years old] for the national U-17 team and I went to Malawi with them and we were walloped in the 2019 Cosafa tournament.
“The following year, with the same crop of players, we won the Cosafa qualifiers [the tournament was cancelled due to Covid-19] and these boys now are in the Diski Challenge.
“These are the players I’m getting them ready for U-20 and they are well placed at Chiefs.”
Khumalo also revealed that Aidan McCarthy has recently been invited to an unnamed club in Portugal for trials.
He said that if they were trying to win the league they should have recalled some of their players who are not playing regularly in the first team to come help them.
“I see people are saying he is losing or whatever. To be honest, it is not about losing. The mandate is very clear,” he said.
“If we wanted to win this [Diski Challenge Cup], we would do like Orlando Pirates – go back there to get older players or those who have been promoted to come and play and win.
“But it is not the win that we want. We want a win where we say Mduduzi is going to Spain or the first team. With us, we are saying let's nurture these boys, let's get them right and be part of the first team.
“We don’t want to buy in the future because [Mamelodi] Sundowns is buying everyone, so we want to preserve our own future and we let them fight for a space in the first team.
“Let’s not want results now, it can’t be correct. We are rebuilding. This is a new team. The Amakhosi nation wants the results now but they must be patient with the players.”
Chiefs will visit Chippa United in their next match at Wolfson Stadium on Sunday at 12.30pm.
Diski Challenge fixtures
Saturday: Maritzburg vs SuperSport, Princess Magogo, 10am; Gallants vs Stellenbosch, Old Peter Mokaba, 10am; Pirates vs Galaxy, Rand Stadium, 12pm; Sekhukhune vs Arrows, Mkhulong, 12pm.
Sunday: Baroka vs AmaZulu, Baroka Village, 10am; Cape Town City vs Swallows Wolfson, 10am; Chippa vs Chiefs, Wolfson, 12.30pm.
Khumalo not fixated on winning Diski Challenge
Coach says they're preparing players for Chiefs' first team
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Kaizer Chiefs Diski Challenge coach Vela Khumalo is not concerned about the poor run they have been on in the league.
Khumalo revealed that his mandate is to prepare players to play in the first team and dominate in the Premiership in the next few years.
The coach is also urging supporters who are concerned about the results in the Diski Challenge to be patient with the players as they build something big for the future.
“I always say to people winning, for me, is when I see Mduduzi Shabalala going into the first team, Bontle Molefe going into the first team and seeing these players elevated to the next level,” Khumalo told Sowetan on Thursday.
“These boys who are playing now, I had them when they were 15 [years old] for the national U-17 team and I went to Malawi with them and we were walloped in the 2019 Cosafa tournament.
“The following year, with the same crop of players, we won the Cosafa qualifiers [the tournament was cancelled due to Covid-19] and these boys now are in the Diski Challenge.
“These are the players I’m getting them ready for U-20 and they are well placed at Chiefs.”
Khumalo also revealed that Aidan McCarthy has recently been invited to an unnamed club in Portugal for trials.
He said that if they were trying to win the league they should have recalled some of their players who are not playing regularly in the first team to come help them.
“I see people are saying he is losing or whatever. To be honest, it is not about losing. The mandate is very clear,” he said.
“If we wanted to win this [Diski Challenge Cup], we would do like Orlando Pirates – go back there to get older players or those who have been promoted to come and play and win.
“But it is not the win that we want. We want a win where we say Mduduzi is going to Spain or the first team. With us, we are saying let's nurture these boys, let's get them right and be part of the first team.
“We don’t want to buy in the future because [Mamelodi] Sundowns is buying everyone, so we want to preserve our own future and we let them fight for a space in the first team.
“Let’s not want results now, it can’t be correct. We are rebuilding. This is a new team. The Amakhosi nation wants the results now but they must be patient with the players.”
Chiefs will visit Chippa United in their next match at Wolfson Stadium on Sunday at 12.30pm.
Diski Challenge fixtures
Saturday: Maritzburg vs SuperSport, Princess Magogo, 10am; Gallants vs Stellenbosch, Old Peter Mokaba, 10am; Pirates vs Galaxy, Rand Stadium, 12pm; Sekhukhune vs Arrows, Mkhulong, 12pm.
Sunday: Baroka vs AmaZulu, Baroka Village, 10am; Cape Town City vs Swallows Wolfson, 10am; Chippa vs Chiefs, Wolfson, 12.30pm.
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