Mfundo Vilakazi urged to add goals and match Relebohile Mofokeng’s rising value

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Dominic Isaacs believes Mfundo Vilakazi must now move beyond his status as a promising youngster and become a leading figure in the club’s pursuit of success.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has been identified as one of the players who could drive a new era for Amakhosi, following an impressive performance in the Toyota Cup on Sunday. Vilakazi was named man of the match as Kaizer Chiefs faced Zimbabwean club Scotland FC, renewing supporters’ optimism ahead of the new season.

Isaacs believes Vilakazi’s next major step should be to improve his goalscoring, arguing that greater end product would increase the player’s value and bring him closer to the level reached by Relebohile Mofokeng.

Kaizer Chiefs’ new coach, Fernando Da Cruz, has also said he intends to develop Vilakazi into one of the best players in the PSL this season.

“I believe there’s a big improvement. That boy’s got raw talent. Now is the perfect time for him to step up and be counted. The label of promising player has fallen away now,” Isaacs tells KickOff.

Isaacs said Vilakazi should embrace the opportunity without allowing expectations to affect his natural style. He also highlighted the youngster’s ability to draw defenders towards him and create space for teammates.

“Without putting any pressure, he must just go out and enjoy his normal game and try to follow the coach’s instructions. He knows what he can do in terms of drawing two defenders to free up a teammate. It’s his season now.

“Which position suits him? It depends on what the coach wants. For me, I prefer him playing on the right, as he can cut inside and do as he pleases. That’s where I would put him.

“This season, he needs to add goals to his game. That’s one of the areas he should focus on. He saw how Relebohile Mofokeng was doing last season; scoring goals increased his value. So scoring goals will boost Vilakazi’s value and help him mature.”

Isaacs’ preferred role for Vilakazi is on the right, where he believes the midfielder can move inside from the flank and use his technical ability to influence the game. However, he acknowledged that the final decision will depend on Da Cruz’s tactical plans.

The former Kaizer Chiefs centre-back’s assessment places responsibility on Vilakazi to turn his promising performances into consistent contributions. While his creativity and ability to attract two defenders are already regarded as important qualities, Isaacs believes goals will be the clearest measure of his development.

Mofokeng’s progress last season is being used as an example of how improved scoring can enhance a young player’s reputation and market value. Isaacs believes Vilakazi can follow a similar path if he adds that dimension to his game.

With Da Cruz promising to help him reach the highest level in the PSL, Vilakazi enters the season with the chance to establish himself as more than an exciting prospect. For Isaacs, this is the campaign in which the youngster must be counted among the players capable of helping Kaizer Chiefs return to their glory days.