Kaizer Chiefs need to make sensible decisions regarding a few of their most talented academy products coming through the ranks.
Youngsters on the brink of a Kaizer Chiefs breakthrough
Teenagers Nkosana Mbuthu and Manqoba Ozoemena are two talented players to watch out for. Mbuthu is a left-winger and got a taste of action in a friendly against Yanga, while Ozoemena is a playmaker who had the rare honour of claiming three assists in a single DDC game last term. Ozoemena, who has Nigerian lineage, hopes to challenge for a spot in the first-team this season. It’s clear that he’s outgrown the DDC level but the step-up to senior football isn’t a simple one.
Ozoemena might need to move away temporarily to secure his future
Chiefs are negotiating a potential loan deal for the teenage midfield maestro with several top-flight clubs. The club wants the 19-year-old to play valuable first-team minutes at the highest level so that he’s ready to step into the Amakhosi senior setup in 2025-2026. Ozoemena impressed during the pre-season tour of Turkey to the extent that the club has prepared a five-year contract extension for him.
Via SoccerLaduma:
“At the moment most of the time he is playing for the DDC team but coach (Nasreddine) Nabi wants him in the first team and that’s why he was with the team in pre-season in Turkey but when he looks at the squad that he has now, he feels that Manqoba (Ozoemena) won’t play and that’s why they want him to gain experience by loaning him out. It’s the team that is looking for clubs who could agree to take him on loan. They are looking at PSL clubs where he can play competitively for the second half of the season,” the Siya source stated.
Creativity is in his blood
Manqoba Ozoemena achieved the rare feat of supplying three assists in one DDC game last season. His creative talents are obvious, but the next step is for him to show his mettle at senior level. It’s clear that he has outgrown the Diski Challenge.
Via Sowetan:
“The 19-year-old central midfielder is physically strong, energetic, and tactically intelligent, who’s admired for his ball-winning abilities, work rate, and vision, as well as his solid technique and reliable passing.”
Do you have high hopes for Ozoemena? Where should he play his football this season?
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