Ex-PSL star Dipsy Selolwane has highlighted what Thatayaone Ditlhokwe must do to prove his worth to Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi.
Ditlhokwe has been sidelined at Kaizer Chiefs this season. New highly-rated defenders Inácio Miguel and Rushwin Dortley have been the preferred centre-back pairing under coach Nabi.
As such, Ditlhokwe has not played in any of the seven Betway Premiership matches so far. The Botswana international has only made one appearance albeit in the Carling Knockout Cup.
However, his compatriot and former PSL star Dipsy Selolwane believes when things look black, there is always a silver lining.
Despite limited playing time at club level, Ditlhokwe has remained a vital player for the Botswana national team. He recently captained the side to qualification for the 2025 AFCON tournament. Ditlhokwe joined Amakhosi in 2023 with high expectations after his impressive performances at SuperSport United.
DIPSY SELOLWANE’S TIPS FOR KAIZER CHIEFS DEFENDER THATAYAONE DITLHOKWE
In an interview with FARPost, Dipsy’ Selolwane said: “A professional footballer’s career is always like that. There is always a time when you must pivot and find a way to be preferred.
“If the coach thinks you are not good enough, take that opportunity to show him how great you are in training. You can not let one man or two make you look like you are not good. But prove your worth.
“Maybe by not playing you, he intends to see something about your attitude. So it’s always best to be focused and be in good mental shape because this is normal in any professional footballer’s life. It means there must be a constant change of attitude.
“One coach may come and say you are not good enough, but the next one will come and treat you as the best. He is also an employee like you.
“So, it is key for him [Ditlhokwe] to see the silver lining behind being on the bench and not being played. It’s a good chance to prove that you deserve to be in the first team. We all know that it’s more sweeter than just walking into a team.
“It’s key to remember that you are not there by mistake. So before taking any decision, the first thing is to prove yourself to the coach. Engage him and know where you are lacking. It’s better to be sure that you’ve failed to fit into the team after trying than just quitting,” he said.
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