Lebohang Maboe injury leaves Kaizer Chiefs facing Bafana Bafana concern

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has confirmed that Lebohang Maboe was substituted because of an injury, casting doubt over the midfielder’s availability for Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana squad.

Maboe was the only Kaizer Chiefs player called up to the squad and played a prominent role in the side’s goalless draw with Lamontville Golden Arrows. However, he missed a first-half penalty before being replaced early in the second half.

Da Cruz said the change was made as a direct replacement for Maboe, but admitted the injury affected the balance of his midfield.

“We changed position for position for Maboe, unfortunately his injury arrived a bit early in the second half,” he said on SuperSport TV.

“After we were a bit imbalanced in midfield.

“The other substitutions were to win the game, I changed attacking players to win the game, because we always want to win the game.

“But unfortunately today we touched the post, we had opportunities but we didn’t score.”

The result extended a frustrating afternoon for Kaizer Chiefs, who created chances but could not find a way past Lamontville Golden Arrows.

Despite the failure to score, Da Cruz maintained that his team’s attacking players, particularly those with less experience, were progressing in the right direction.

He acknowledged that the side’s forward players needed to develop greater composure and maturity, but remained confident that improved results would follow if they continued working in the same manner.

“We have a lack of maturity in our frontline,” he added.

“Young players with a lot of quality but they lack maturity. But we are on a good way. We have to continue this way and will score, I’m 100% sure.

“People who watched in front of the TV today, it was a 0-0, but they have watched a very good game.”