Kaizer Chiefs boss Fernando da Cruz backs Kabelo Nkgwesa to become a ‘very good’ player

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz believes academy graduate Kabelo Nkgwesa has the potential to develop into a “very good” player for the club, despite acknowledging that the youngster still needs to improve his tactical discipline.

Nkgwesa made his senior debut for Chiefs on Wednesday evening during their 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United. The player came on late in the match, replacing Reeve Frosler as Chiefs secured the win.

The appearance marked an important step for Nkgwesa, who was one of the standout talents in the DStv Diski Challenge before being promoted into the first-team environment. His performances during pre-season also impressed da Cruz sufficiently for the academy graduate to become part of the coach’s plans for the current campaign.

Da Cruz said Nkgwesa possesses a number of qualities that could help him establish himself at the Soweto club. However, he believes the young player must become more disciplined in his approach, particularly when deciding how to influence matches from an attacking position.

“Kabelo is a player with a lot of qualities, he has a lot of qualities but for now he has to work on the tactical discipline because he always wants to play forward but sometimes he needs to be careful,” he said when asked by iDiski Times about the promising talent.

The Chiefs head coach also stressed that Nkgwesa’s development will depend not only on his ability but on his willingness to follow instructions and learn from the coaching staff.

“But for the future, for sure he will be a very good player for Kaizer Chiefs – but only one thing, as I said in the press conference last night, young players need to listen to the coach.”

Nkgwesa will now look to build on his first senior minutes when Kaizer Chiefs face a significantly demanding assignment against Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend.

The match will be played at FNB Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00. It will provide another opportunity for Nkgwesa to continue his progress after making his first-team introduction against Sekhukhune United.

His emergence adds another young prospect to da Cruz’s plans as he assesses the players capable of contributing to Chiefs’ senior side. While the coach has identified areas of Nkgwesa’s game that require work, his prediction underlines the belief within the club that the academy graduate can make a lasting impact.

For now, Nkgwesa’s immediate challenge is to turn his substitute appearance into further involvement with the first team. His performance in the DStv Diski Challenge, his pre-season displays and his debut have all helped him move into contention, but da Cruz has made clear that tactical discipline and an ability to follow the coach’s instructions will remain central to his development.