Chronicle of Change: Ngcobo’s Journey from Defensive Brilliance to Potential Exit at Chiefs

Njabulo Ngcobo’s second season as a Kaizer Chiefs player has been filled with frustration, as the defender has failed to make an appearance in the 2023 season and could be on his way out of the club at the end of the season. The 28-year-old joined Amakhosi in 2021, after winning the Premiership Defender of the Season in 2020/21, and was met with much excitement.

However, his time at the club has been far from smooth sailing, with former coach Stuart Baxter not being sure if Ngcobo was better suited in defence or midfield. He made his debut in a 4-1 defeat to Royal AM in September 2021, but has since failed to make an impact at the club.

Ngcobo was named in Hugo Broos’ 31-man preliminary squad for FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana in August 2021, but was left out of the final team. He was recalled due to injuries, but was left out of the squad for another round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March 2022.

He featured in his first official Soweto derby in October 2021 and went on to play 90 minutes in six consecutive Premiership matches. However, an error by Ngcobo in a clash against Golden Arrows was followed by him being taken off by then caretaker coach Arthur Zwane. Ngcobo refused to shake Zwane’s hand, but later apologized for his actions.

In February 2022, Baxter confirmed that Ngcobo would be out for a certain period due to suffering from some of the worst burns he had ever seen on a footballer. Ngcobo featured in Amakhosi’s final game of the season in May 2022, playing 90 minutes as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Ngcobo’s former club, Swallows FC. He finished the season with 15 appearances, 14 less than he did at Swallows in the previous campaign.

Ngcobo played his first 90 minutes of the 2022/23 season in a clash against Richards Bay, as the Soweto giants registered a narrow 1-0 victory. He went on to play 90 minutes in the three following matches, against Cape Town City, AmaZulu and Marumo Gallants. His last Premiership appearance came in December 2022 when he came on for the last seven minutes in a clash against Arrows.

Ngcobo still has another year left with Chiefs, but it is looking increasingly likely that he could part ways with the club at the end of the season.