Kaizer Chiefs interim head coach Cavin Johnson has singled out Nkosingiphile Ngcobo as ‘a player of the future’, explaining what it would take for the midfielder to reach his full potential.
Johnson believes Ngcobo has immense potential to be a key player for Chiefs in the near future.
However, Johnson has insinuated that the Chiefs academy graduate has yet to fully realise his capabilities since his promotion to the first team in 2018.
The 23-year-old former SA youth international showed glimpses of what a good player he is during the Gavin Hunt era at Chiefs.
That particular season – 2020/21 – Ngcobo played a key role as Amakhosi reached their first-ever CAF Champions League final. He made 40 appearances, netting four goals and providing four assists.
In addition to his best campaign so far in Chiefs colours, Ngcobo also starred for Amajita at the 2019 Under-20 AFCON, where he was included in Africa’s U-20 XI.
But after Hunt’s departure, the Pietermaritzburg-born star found it difficult to solidify a starting berth under different coaches at Chiefs such as Arthur Zwane, Stuart Baxter, and Molefi Ntseki.
WHAT CAVIN JOHNSON THINKS OF NKOSINGIPHILE NGCOBO
He has featured in over 80 games for Chiefs with six goals and three assists to his name.
Johnson is of the view that Ngcobo’s struggles are down to several factors such as long-term injuries. In his second start of the 2023/24 season against Cape Town Spurs, he looked rejuvenated. Amakhosi beat Spurs 3-2 in a DStv Premiership encounter at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
“Mshini [Ngcobo] is the young Kaizer Chiefs player of the future,” said Johnson. “I think he just misses out on a lot of match fitness. But he had a big injury, a lot of you know that.
“He came back recently, he was out for a while, six months. So he’s just come back this season. He’s showing his capabilities. If we can get him ASAP back to where he should be then he will play more often.”
Ngcobo will have to show the same determination he showed against CT Spurs when Chiefs take on arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Premiership on Saturday in Soweto.
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