Doctor Khumalo backs misfiring Kaizer Chiefs forward Ranga Chivaviro - 'That boy is not a bad striker... that element of understanding each other is not there'

Ranga Chivaviro has scored five goals in 20 games across all competitions for Kaizer Chiefs this season.

This is after he managed just four goals in 23 appearances last term after arriving at Chiefs highly regarded for being a prolific scorer at his previous club, Marumo Galants.

His struggles at Chiefs have invited criticism from fans, but Amakhosi legend Doctor Khumalo has leapt to his defence.

“You know Ranga Chivaviro, that boy is not a bad striker,” Khumalo told iDiski Times. 

“All he needs is for his teammates, the distributors, to understand him and give him the right passes. 

“I’ve played with many different strikers, and I made it my business to understand them. I knew that with Scara [Thindwa], I had to play the ball to his feet, not to space. 

“I knew that Fani Madida was a good runner, so I played the ball to space. I knew that coming from the wing, I had to wait for Shane [McGregor] to leave his marker before I could cross," added the Bafana Bafana great.

“And when I am looking at the current Chiefs team, that element of understanding each other is not there.  

“They don’t seem to have a connection and a player like Ranga then looks like he is not good.”

Chivaviro is in the final months of his Chiefs contract, which expires in June 2025.

The Soweto giants have an option to extend his deal by another season, but with the striker struggling for goals, they might not trigger that clause.

However, if he redeems himself in the Soweto giants' last 11 Premier Soccer League matches as well as the Nedbank Cup, he might convince coach Nasreddine Nabi to keep him.

With Tashreeq Morris injured, Chivaviro could start upfront alongside Glody Lilepo when Chiefs host Magesi FC in a league game on Tuesday.

It would be an opportunity to start scoring and make himself a regular starter going forward.