Njabulo Blom shows promise on Stellenbosch FC debut, says Gavin Hunt

Stellenbosch FC head coach Gavin Hunt believes Njabulo Blom can become an important player for the club after making his debut in Tuesday’s 1-1 Betway Premiership draw with Kaizer Chiefs.

The 26-year-old midfielder completed the full match at FNB Stadium after joining the Cape Winelands club last month on a season-long loan from Indonesian side Borneo Samarinda.

Blom had not played for an extended period before his move, but Hunt was encouraged by the strength and quality he brought to the Stellenbosch FC midfield. The coach also acknowledged that the player was caught out on several occasions as the match progressed.

“When I had Blom at Chiefs, I moved him from a full-back into centre midfield,” Hunt said.

“He was magnificent for me here. I mean, we got to the Champions League semi-final, so he was magnificent. So, I signed [Darrel] Matsheke. The two of them were magnificent for me at Chiefs when I had them here from the kids. But obviously Darrel’s not fit as well.”

Matsheke was not involved against Stellenbosch FC because he is also unavailable, while Blom’s lack of recent competitive football was a factor in his performance.

“He didn’t even come. Njabulo hasn’t played for ages, so fitness. But you can see the power. You can see he’s got a little bit of quality, and he’s got power in midfield and that’s what we need. And I know he’ll only get better,” Hunt said.

“As the game went on, he got caught a few times, but he’s got power. He’ll be good for us there’s no doubt I know that.”

The draw extended Kaizer Chiefs’ run without a victory to three games. Amakhosi stayed fourth in the standings with 14 points from eight matches, while Stellenbosch FC moved to seventh with 11 points from the same number of games.

Hunt, who worked with Blom during his previous spell at Kaizer Chiefs, said the midfielder’s physical attributes could make him a valuable part of the Stellenbosch FC squad as he continues to regain his fitness.