Zwane stands by error-prone Siya Ngezana

Should Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane field under-siege defender Siyabonga Ngezana when they face Stellenbosch in the MTN8 quarterfinals at Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday?

An emphatic "No" is the answer you'll likely get from many Chiefs fans after Ngezana blundered yet again when they lost 2-0 to Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday. To begin with, many didn't expect Ngezana to start against City, where Zwane deployed a peculiar back-three formation with Zitha Kwinika and Njabulo Ngcobo, after Ngezana was booed by the Amakhosi faithful when he came in late in the second stanza against Richards Bay at Moses Mabhida Stadium at the weekend.

The boo-brigade victimised Ngezana in Durban because of his two howlers in their 4-0 drubbing away to Sundowns the previous weekend, where his stray back pass meant for his keeper Bruce Bvuma fell to pressing Gaston Sirino to give Sundowns the lead. Ngezana would later concede a penalty for fouling Peter Shalulile. The Namibian ace converted that spot-kick himself.

Against City, Ngezana was partly to blame for the first goal, where, despite being the closest player to the eventual scorer Darwin Gonzalez, he couldn't challenge him but impeded own keeper Brandon Peterson instead. Later on, the Chiefs defender conceded a free-kick that would lead to the second goal, a thumping header by Idumba Fasika.

Even so, Zwane still stood by Ngezana. The Chiefs coach is optimistic the Amakhosi faithful will eventually love Ngezana, praising him for being the best as in winning one-to-one tussles.

"This is football and football is meant to help players to grow. Football is a game of mistakes. The only time you can protect any player, not only Siya [Ngezana] is by giving him an opportunity to play. His performance will obviously convince our supporters as time goes on,'' Zwane said after the City defeat.

"We do have other players who are doing well but you look at the way we want to play, you've got players that you want them to win their 1v1 battles, so some of the players that we have they're very good but not in winning those 1v1 battles. Siya is one of those defenders that can win these 1v1 battles at the back."