Kaizer Chiefs head coach Molefi Ntseki has been impressed by one of his new signings during the club’s pre-season friendlies.
The Soweto giants fell to a 1-0 defeat to Township Rollers in their final pre-season encounter before the DStv Premiership starts next weekend, but Ntseki was full of praise for one of the club’s new arrivals.
Chiefs also lost last weekend’s preseason match against Young Africans SC of Tanzania on a similar scoreline.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
“In terms of playing minutes preparing for the first game, I think we’re on the right track,” he told SuperSport.
“If you look at the first half and the first group of players who played, it was more of getting more playing minutes.”
He spoke about not giving away easy goals when asked what message he would give his charges.
“I think the first thing is you don’t give away goals like that. It means we’re not properly positioning ourselves. We don’t put pressure on the ball; we allow the diagonal ball. “Unfortunately, we didn’t defend the far side of the cross. These are the things we’ll be addressing.”
He was also concerned by the inability to convert scoring chances.
“We created a few chances, and what we’ll be looking at is where those chances were created and what were the challenges in us utilising those chances.”
NTSEKI SPEAKS ON KAIZER CHIEFS’ NEW SIGNING
But the silver lining, according to the former Bafana Bafana coach, was Edson Castillo, who starred in both friendly matches in Tanzania and Botswana.
“I think that’s the player we needed to have on the pitch. As I said, we played him for 70 minutes in Tanzania. So today, the plan was for him to play 45 minutes and give others a chance.
“I think he’s a revelation in terms of our tactical play, in terms of his intelligence in possession and also how he’s helping us out of possession. He’ll be giving us more balance in the midfield going forward.”
Castillo, who recently joined Chiefs from Venezuelan club Monagas SC, has made a positive impression in his early appearances.
He has shown good passing ability, vision, and creativity in midfield, and he has also been a handful for the opposition. A modern central midfielder, the 29-year-old is strong on the tackle and possesses some good tactical awareness. He can play as a six and as an eight.
Castillo’s arrival is a significant boost for Chiefs, who have been looking to strengthen their midfield for some time. The club has struggled in the defensive midfield position since the departure of Njabulo Blom.
Chiefs hope Castillo can continue his excellent form when the new season starts next weekend. The club will be looking to challenge for the DStv Premiership title, and Castillo could be a key player in their quest for success.
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