Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi recently declined a loan request for promising 20-year-old striker Naledi Hlongwane, and here’s why.
Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy were reportedly eager to sign the young striker on a season-long loan to strengthen their squad for the CAF Confederation Cup.
Galaxy are set to face Malawi’s Mighty Wanderers in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round after winning the Orange FA Cup last season. Sean Connor, formerly Cape Town Spurs’ technical director, is at the helm of Galaxy and had identified Hlongwane as the right profile for their CAF campaign.
“We were eager to bring Naledi Hlongwane on board for the season, but we were informed that the Chiefs coach [Nasreddine Nabi] intends to keep him, as he is part of the club’s plans for the upcoming season,” Connor told FARPost.
“He’s a talented young forward who would have fit in perfectly with our ambitions here. I was very excited about my prospect of working with him and giving him genuine first-team opportunities.”
The Sebokeng-born striker is steadily rising through the ranks at Chiefs, impressing in pre-season matches and even netting the winner against PEC Zwolle.
His performance at training and pre-season has reportedly seen him leapfrog Flavio Silva and Tashreeq Morris in the team’s attacking ranks.
Amakhosi head coach Nasreddine Nabi has previously highlighted Hlongwane’s potential to become a key player for the club in future.
The Tunisian mentor reportedly plans to integrate the young talent, who signed a professional contract last season following a standout display in the Carling All-Stars match, where he scored twice and was named Man of the Match. Nabi took Hlongwane, Kabelo Nkgwesa and Thulani Mabaso to the Netherlands last month and featured the DStv Diski Challenge trio in the friendly matches Chiefs played.
NABI OPTIMISTIC ABOUT NALEDI HLONGWANE’S FUTURE
“I am always willing to give maximum opportunities to young talents. If you are good enough, you are old enough to play. That’s my philosophy,” Nabi told the club’s website after the pre-season tour.
In December, the former Young Africans and AS FAR coach expressed optimism about Hlongwane’s future and is said to be confident that the teenager will feature prominently this season.
The talented striker, who has travelled with Amakhosi’s matchday squad for their Betway Premiership opener against Stellenbosch FC on Sunday, played a key role for the DDC team last season. He netted 15 goals, significantly contributing to their reserve league title victory.
During Nabi’s first season with the Soweto giants, he gave playing opportunities to academy graduates such as Mduduzi Shabalala, Wandile Duba, Samkelo Zwane and Mfundo Vilakazi. At Yanga SC in Tanzania, Nabi also gave teenage Clement Mzize a chance, and the 21-year-old has continued to impress.
Hlongwane was brought to Chiefs by his development coach in Vanderbijlpark, Zacharia Nale, who recognised his talent and introduced him to the then-youth coach at Chiefs, Arthur Zwane.
After the pre-season, the talented forward expressed confidence that the team possesses enough ambition to finish in the top three this season.
“We want to go all out this season. It’s a new opportunity to excel in the league, the cups, and the CAF Confederation Cup. Ask all the players, we are ambitious to finish in the top three,” Hlongwane told the Chiefs website.
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