Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Hans Vonk has named three Kaizer Chiefs players who caught his attention during a friendly match against PEC Zwolle in Meppel, Netherlands.
The game, which Chiefs won 1-0, was part of their European tour, featuring five friendlies against Dutch teams.
Vonk closely followed Chiefs’ game against the Eredivisie club on Tuesday evening. The Glamour Boys faced a tough start in the first 15 minutes of the first half against PEC Zwolle, with their opponents playing well, but they managed to recover and get back into the match afterwards.
“I think the players needed some time to adapt to the pitches here in Holland,” Vonk told Chiefs’ website. “The fields are softer than those in South Africa, which can affect play. Also, the ball moves faster on these pitches, especially when playing against top Eredivisie teams. This is something the players had to adjust to.”
WHICH THREE PLAYERS DID VONK SINGLE OUT FOR PRAISE?
The former goalkeeper, capped 43 times for Bafana Bafana, praised Chiefs’ organisation before naming three players who impressed him.
“I like the organisation of the team,” Vonk said, before picking the trio that impressed him. “Jersey number 12 [Nkosingiphile Ngcobo], “number 74, the left-back [Nkanyiso Shinga] and “number 5 [Sibongiseni Mthethwa].”
The former goalkeeper isn’t worried about Amakhosi losing their three pre-season matches before their impressive victory over PEC. “I am not really interested in those losses,” he added.
“It’s pre-season, and that’s all about getting ready for the season. Besides that, the players had to adapt to the different circumstances in Holland and the strong Dutch opponents they played against.
“For sure, as a goalkeeper, I hated conceding a goal and losing, even in pre-season. However, it’s all about the new experiences in Holland, about playing matches against competitive sides, getting the rhythm right, building a team… That’s what a coach is looking at during pre-season.”
He believes the pre-season camp in the Netherlands was “a great experience for the whole team”, adding that the players would have “learnt a lot” especially playing against top opposition.
Vonk also expressed his deep admiration for Amakhosi supporters, both during his time playing in Cape Town and to this day.
Having played most of his career at Dutch club Heerenveen from 1996 to 2004, he later finished his playing career with two periods at Ajax Cape Town. He went on to serve as the technical manager for Ajax Cape Town, which rebranded as Cape Town Spurs in 2020.
Before Tuesday’s friendly match, several former Ajax Cape Town players—including Brandon Petersen, Dillan Solomons, Tashreeq Morris, and Rushwin Dortley—went to greet Vonk.
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