Kingston Nkhatha, who was subjected to relentless booing from Kaizer Chiefs fans during his time at the club, has offered words of wisdom to Ranga Chivaviro, a striker facing similar treatment.
Chivaviro has faced mounting criticism from Chiefs fans in the new season due to his missed opportunities in front of goal. The most recent instance occurred during the Amakhosi match against SuperSport United on Saturday.
The Soweto giants claimed an impressive 4-0 win over SuperSport in the Carling Knockout Cup Last 16 at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium. The Glamour Boys found the back of the net through Gaston Sirino, Ranga Chivaviro, Yusuf Maart, and Ashley Du Preez.
With the impressive win, Amakhosi booked a spot in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals, where they will face Mamelodi Sundowns on a date yet to be confirmed by the PSL.
While Chivaviro managed to find the net against SuperSport, his overall performance was met with criticism from Chiefs fans. The bulky forward’s missed opportunities led to frustration, and he reacted to the supporters after scoring in the 76th minute.
KINGSTON NKHATHA ON WHAT RANGA CHIVAVIRO NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT CHIEFS SUPPORTERS
Nkhatha has urged Chivaviro to remain composed and avoid responding to the booing. The former Zimbabwean international, who played for Chiefs from 2012 to 2015, experienced similar treatment during his time at the club.
“It’s a difficult topic [booing], but it’s not easy to have your own supporters booing you. It feels like you are not important to the team,” Nkhatha said on Radio 2000.
“The coach that’s picking you to play week in and week out knows what you can bring to the team, so it becomes hard for other players because you need a big heart and big mentality.
“Also, as a player, you need to understand that there is something wrong you are doing that you need to improve. So you must just take it in, don’t fight. Just go home and check what it is that you need to improve to give more to the team.
“It also comes to another point, where if you are not a fan favourite, it will happen. If the supporters don’t like you, they’ll show that they don’t like you. Ranga must understand that fans have favourites, and they don’t understand that players don’t have the same qualities,” added Nkhatha.
Since joining Chiefs from Marumo Gallants last season, Chivaviro has faced challenges in adapting to his new surroundings. While he scored 17 goals in 30 games for Gallants, he struggled to find his scoring touch at Chiefs in his first season.
However, he has shown signs of improvement in the new campaign, scoring three goals in four games so far.
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