On Wednesday, Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki expressed his challenge
in deciding whether to start Edson Castillo in the upcoming Carling
Knockout last 16 clash against Usuthu on Saturday evening. Castillo is
expected to return to Naturena on Thursday evening from international duty
with Venezuela, after being included in the Venezuelan national team for
the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Chile, but not
making the final matchday squads for both clashes.
Ntseki told media during a press conference held at the PSL offices in
Parktown, Johannesburg, on Thursday that he was proud of the midfielder
for being part of the national team, but would have liked to see him get
playing time. He also noted the challenge of the long trip back from South
America, which can be taxing on a footballer, and the lack of time to
prepare for the Usuthu clash.
The coach is keen to have Castillo involved in the match on Saturday, and
will consult with the medical team to find out how many minutes the player
can take after the arduous trip. He is confident that Castillo’s
professionalism will ensure that he is ready for the match.
“We are looking forward to him arriving in South Africa on Thursday night
and hopefully we will have him in our captain’s run on Friday. We will
look at it and get advice from our medical team and also our sport science
in terms of how many minutes we can have him on the pitch, if ever we have
to start him or bring him in (as a substitute). But he is a very important
member of the team,” said Ntseki.
