Kaizer Chiefs supporters were delighted to see new signing Sibongiseni Mthethwa and Edson Castillo start together in midfield against Cape Town City on Monday, with Yusuf Maart also included in the line-up. However, despite dominating with 66% ball possession, Chiefs failed to create many scoring chances and the Citizens managed to win the game 1-0.
This has led to debate, on who Chiefs should sacrifice in their midfield to accommodate Mthethwa. Former Amakhosi attacker Thuso Phala believes playing all three midfielders at once limits the team’s creativity and suggests that coach Gavin Hunt should sacrifice one of them and add creative players such Mduduzi Mdantsane, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Mduduzi Shabalala, to create more chances.
“Well, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that it’s their first game playing together but that’s not an excuse, those players are international players, if they (are called up) to Bafana they will do well,” Phala said on TV Solutions TV YouTube channel. “So, for me I think one of them must be sacrificed, I don’t see them creating more chances with all three of them together, play one of them holding and play two attacking. Play Castillo and Mdantsane there (in attacking midfield), have one holding. As Chiefs, teams come more defensive, so obviously you’re gonna have more dominance in midfield, you need more creativity. So you need Mdantsane, that young boy (Nkosingiphile) Ngcobo or a (Mduduzi) Shabalala. Play them in midfield and put one holding midfielder, if Mthethwa does that alone, put him alone and let Castillo, Mdantsane and them to add creativity.”
Mthethwa has been selected by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, so it will be interesting to see how Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt will line up his midfield in the coming matches.
