Mduduzi Shabalala’s ex-coach at youth level, Sifiso Nxumalo of Lenasia Football Academy, has shared his thoughts on the youngster’s progress at Kaizer Chiefs.
Nxumalo, a mentor, played a pivotal role in discovering Shabalala’s raw talent at White City in Soweto. Shabalala honed his skills and developed into the promising player he is today under the guidance of Nxumalo.
Shabalala’s journey at Chiefs started in the development side before earning a well-deserved promotion to the senior team during the 2021/22 campaign under the stewardship of Arthur Zwane.
The talented attacker is one of several promising academy graduates currently representing The Glamour Boys. Other notable academy products in the Chiefs squad include Samkelo Zwane, Mfundo Vilakazi, Wandile Duba, and Bontle Molefe.
In the current Betway Premiership season, under coach Nasreddine Nabi, the 20-year-old has been a regular starter for the Soweto giants.
Shabalala has been a revelation for Chiefs this season. The young attacker has made a significant impact in the final third, contributing three goals and two assists in just seven matches across all competitions. His impressive statistics make him the top-performing attacking player for Amakhosi so far.
SIFISO NXUMALO IMPRESSED BY MDU SHABALALA’S GROWTH AT CHIEFS
Nxumalo believes that Shabalala’s development at Chiefs is progressing positively, and the future holds great promise for the young talent.
“I think he’s coming up nicely especially this season, one can see that he’s been scoring goals and providing some assists for his teammates,” Nxumalo told FARPost.
“The former coaches at Chiefs were giving him some opportunities to play, now the current coach [Nasreddine Nabi] is doing the same.
“Nabi has instilled some confidence into Shabalala you can see the way he performs. If he continues to get some gametime, we will see the talent of that boy.
“For now, he should just stay focused, work hard during matches and at training, then the best of him will come.”
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