Maswanganyi urges fans to give Chiefs youngsters time to develop

Former Orlando Pirates player Patrick Maswanganyi has called on South African football supporters to stop jeering young players, saying emerging talents such as Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mfundo Vilakazi need patience while they develop.

Maswanganyi praised Vilakazi as a “very special” player and said he had formed a close relationship with the teenager after first watching him at a township tournament in Tembisa.

The pair’s connection began before Vilakazi had established himself in the Chiefs first team. Maswanganyi said he had recognised the youngster’s ability immediately, although he did not realise at the time that Vilakazi was already part of the club’s development ranks.

“We speak now, and we are very close,” Maswanganyi said in a recent interview with members of the South African Football Journalists’ Association (Safja).

“He calls me sometimes, and I also call him. I watched him play in Tembisa before he went to the first team. I told my friend that this boy is very special and one day he’s going to play for a big team. I just didn’t know that he was already in Chiefs’ development ranks at that time.”

Maswanganyi became a popular figure during his time at Orlando Pirates, with his skill and quick feet making him a favourite among supporters. He said Vilakazi had brought a similar sense of flair to matches involving Kaizer Chiefs and added to the excitement of Soweto football.

However, Maswanganyi warned that the expectations placed on young players can quickly become excessive when they make mistakes. He said the need to protect his own mental health and his family was among the reasons he submitted a transfer request at Orlando Pirates during the winter window before joining Bahraini club Al-Khaldiya.

“My plea is for fans to take it easy, especially on young players coming through,” said Maswanganyi.

“Sometimes you see Mfundo Vilakazi playing, trying his best, but things don’t come off. Then you see a lot of fans turning on a player who is still very young for the club they support.”

He referred to Mduduzi Shabalala’s experience in Kaizer Chiefs’ 2-1 Carling Knockout quarter-final win over Siwelele in Polokwane as another example of the pressure faced by young players.

Shabalala missed a penalty during the match, prompting some supporters to call for his immediate replacement. He later won another spot-kick, helping Kaizer Chiefs recover in the game.

“It’s really not good because these are players who still need room to grow. Senior players can handle that kind of criticism much better than youngsters,” Maswanganyi said.

“I watched that Chiefs game and saw Mdu miss a penalty, and the fans immediately started signalling for him to be substituted. Minutes later, he won another penalty, and the team got back into the game.

“Imagine if they had taken him off right after the miss. They probably wouldn’t have scored, and they might have lost the match.”