Faiz Abrahams urged to stay humble after impressive Kaizer Chiefs debut

Cape Town Spurs chief executive Alexi Efstathiou has urged Faiz Abrahams to remain grounded after the 21-year-old made an encouraging first appearance for Kaizer Chiefs.

The winger, who is on loan at Kaizer Chiefs from Stellenbosch FC, came off the bench in the 66th minute of Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Stellenbosch FC. It was his first appearance in the club’s famous gold and black.

Abrahams was developed by Cape Town Spurs, and Efstathiou believes his progress underlines the club’s growing reputation as a major source of South African football talent.

“All these boys are our boys, they start here. Like most of them, Faiz Abrahams came here young,” Efstathiou told KickOff.

He said Cape Town Spurs had identified Abrahams at an early age and helped develop the qualities that have now earned him an opportunity at one of South Africa’s biggest clubs.

“We’re scouting these boys from a young age and developing them into what you see. He obviously had potential, and we worked on it. He was disciplined and hungry to do well to a large extent.”

Efstathiou added that players from Cape Town could adapt successfully to leading clubs if they received the right support and maintained a professional lifestyle.

“If a player comes to us with ability, we will always make him better. Cape Town boys, if they have a good support system and are managed correctly, should not have a problem fitting into big clubs. Faiz now, at Kaizer Chiefs, where there are many Cape Town boys, hevwill benefit a lot.”

The Spurs chief executive acknowledged that some players from the city had struggled after moving to bigger clubs, but said discipline would be an important factor in determining whether Abrahams makes the most of his chance.

“In the past, some Cape Town boys struggled, and some didn’t. It depends also on the lifestyle they live. If they remain disciplined, there should be no problem. But if they start drinking, clubbing, and spending money on nonsense, then it will affect their game.”

Efstathiou’s main message to Abrahams was that his debut should be viewed as the beginning of his development rather than proof that he had already reached his full potential.

“Faiz, he must stay humble and keep his feet on the ground now that he is playing at one of the big clubs. He must never think he is a finished product. He must keep working all the time.”

Abrahams is one of a large number of Cape Town Spurs graduates currently playing in the Premier Soccer League, according to Efstathiou.

“You should see how many of our players are currently playing in the PSL. I think it’s probably at least 35. We’ve always been the university of football, but people just don’t want to accept it.”

The draw with Stellenbosch FC gave Abrahams his first opportunity to represent Kaizer Chiefs, while Efstathiou’s comments highlighted the development pathway that took him from Cape Town Spurs to the senior professional game.