Chiefs coach reveals reasons behind McCarthy’s form

Aden McCarthy at Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze has revealed the reasons behind the impressive form displayed by young defender Aden McCarthy in the new season.

The talented centre-back has started the two Chiefs matches in the Betway Premiership, forming part of the solid defence that kept two clean sheets.

McCarthy was in the starting line-up when Amakhosi claimed a 2-0 win against Stellenbosch FC at Athlone Stadium last Sunday. His performance in the heart of defence earned him a Man-of-the-Match award after preventing Stellies from hitting the back of the net.

In the second match of the season on Wednesday night, McCarthy produced another Man-of-the-Match performance when the Glamour Boys defeated Polokwane City FC 1-0 at FNB Stadium. Chiefs collected maximum points thanks to a second-half goal from the club’s new signing, Siphesihle Ndlovu.

The second successive league victory saw the Naturena-based outfit move to the second spot on the long standings with six points.

WHAT KAZE SAID ABOUT ADEN McCARTHY

Aden McCarthy with Kaizer Chiefs
Aden McCarthy with Kaizer Chiefs. Picture courtesy of Kaizer Chiefs/X

With McCarthy proving to have established a solid centre-back pairing with Inacio Miguel, Kaze says the 21-year-old listens to senior players to improve his game.

“I would say that the people who are giving the Man-of-the-Match [awards] are making our lives difficult because he’s going to think that he’s entitled to win it every game, but it’s good for him,” Kaze said jokingly.

“He’s a very nice kid, very professional in a way that he conducts himself inside and outside the field. Another thing that I would say about him is that he’s a player who listens a lot.

“And he’s always with Zitha [Kwinika] and Miguel. He is always with those players because he knows that their experience can help him. I’m pretty sure that without injuries, he’ll probably go far because he’s a player with quality.”

McCarthy came through the Chiefs’ development ranks after proving his worth in the club’s DStv Diski Challenge side in the past few seasons.

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