Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has shed light on the notable absence of Thabo Cele and Ethan Chislett following a relieving 1-0 victory over Durban City FC in the Betway Premiership on Sunday afternoon.
The win at FNB Stadium in Soweto, secured by a second-half wonderstrike from Glody Lilepo, ended a gruelling four-match losing streak for Amakhosi. While the three points provided much-needed relief, questions remained regarding the matchday squad selection.
Speaking after the match, Kaze revealed that Chislett’s absence was a significant late blow to the team’s preparations. The creative midfielder was a doubt heading into the fixture and ultimately failed late fitness test due to hamstring discomfort.
Chislett was initially named in the starting line-up, but the medical team’s decision to withdraw him saw Ashley Du Preez drafted into the XI at the eleventh hour.
KAZE REVEALS LATE CHISLETT WITHDRAWAL AND TACTICAL REASON FOR CELE ABSENCE
”About Ethan, he has a little bit of discomfort he felt yesterday,” Kaze explained. “We tried to keep him with us in camp until the last minute, but unfortunately, he couldn’t feature because of the discomfort that he felt.”
Chislett had to wait seven months to make his Amakhosi debut, but when he finally stepped onto the pitch against Stellenbosch FC last month, he made an immediate impact.
In his three subsequent appearances, the midfielder has impressed with his high work rate—tracking back to defend while showing the vision to provide incisive passes and test the keeper from range. However, his progress has been cruelly interrupted. Chislett now joins a growing casualty ward at Naturena that includes the likes of George Matlou, Reeve Frosler, and Nkanyiso Shinga.
In contrast, the exclusion of Thabo Cele was not due to fitness concerns. Kaze confirmed that the decision to leave the midfielder out of the matchday squad was entirely tactical, as the technical team opted for a different balance to combat Durban City’s threats.
“About Thabo Cele, it was a technical decision not to play him,” added Kaze. “Sibongiseni ‘Ox’ Mthethwa was suspended today, as well as Aden McCarthy.
On the other hand, Cele has looked like a shadow of his former self. He has struggled to replicate the form that defined his previous campaign, when he was instrumental in helping Chiefs end their ten-year trophy drought. Hampered by niggling injuries, Cele has managed just 16 appearances across all competitions this term, struggling to find the rhythm that once made him a mainstay in the Amakhosi engine room.
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