Benedict Vilakazi raises Kaizer Chiefs concern over Langelihle Phili role

Orlando Pirates legend Benedict Vilakazi believes Langelihle Phili can make an immediate impact at Kaizer Chiefs, but has questioned whether the club will provide the new signing with enough support.

Phili is regarded as one of the most significant arrivals in the current transfer window after joining Kaizer Chiefs from Stellenbosch. The deal saw Amakhosi send Given Msimango and Ashley Du Preez in the opposite direction to the Cape Winelands club.

The 21-year-old winger was one of the PSL’s emerging talents last season and will arrive at Kaizer Chiefs with considerable expectations. Those demands are likely to increase after head coach Fernando da Cruz acknowledged that his side requires more attacking options.

Phili’s individual campaign at Stellenbosch was recognised with a series of awards. The Tshelimnyama-born attacker was named the club’s 2025/26 Players’ Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and Rama Fans’ Player of the Season. He also collected the Top goal-scorer award.

Vilakazi said he had no doubts about Phili’s quality, creativity or ability to adapt to his new club. However, the former Orlando Pirates midfielder expressed concern that Phili could be asked to carry too much responsibility if he is used as a number 10 in Da Cruz’s system.

“I believe in the boy, I saw him for a couple of years, the boy is good, I think he’s going to fit in nicely at Kaizer Chiefs, because I don’t think there is really anything that will disturb the boy, because the boy is good, he’s got quality. He creates, he scores and that’s what they want at Chiefs but my worry is that, is he going to get good support (of the same quality) in doing things?” Vilakazi asked on omniaudioafrica YouTube Channel.

His concern centres on the balance of the Kaizer Chiefs midfield and the team’s use of a double pivot. Vilakazi noted that Mfundo Vilakazi had been used on the right, while Luke Baartman and Ethan Chislett had featured on the left, leaving what he viewed as a shortage of a traditional number 10.

“My worry is I saw (Mfundo) Vilakazi on the right, I saw (Luke) Baartman on the left, I also saw (Ethan) Chislett on the left, so that means they don’t have a number ten. For me as a coach it gives me a signal to say, ‘I can’t play with one number ten and I would rather have two tens and one defensive midfielder’.

“So that if the ball goes to the left, this one on the middle left will go and assist, on the right, this one on the middle right will go and assist but when you’ve got one number ten, he needs to go chase,” Vilakazi added.

The former Orlando Pirates star’s assessment suggests that Phili’s success at Kaizer Chiefs could depend not only on his own performances but also on the attacking support and midfield structure around him.