Is Kaizer Chiefs starlet Mduduzi Shabalala ready to be the next biggest thing in South African football? - Coach shares thoughts

Mduduzi Shabalala is in his fourth season playing top-flight league football for Kaizer Chiefs.

But the 20-year-old is yet to take off and break into the Bafana Bafana fold although he is regarded as one of the bright prospects in South African football.

Shabalala's former youth coach Sifiso Nxumalo sees the attacking midfielder as having tremendously progressed.

“I think he’s coming up nicely especially this season, one can see that he’s been scoring goals and providing some assists for his teammates,” Nxumalo told FARPost.

“The former coaches at Chiefs were giving him some opportunities to play, now the current coach [Nasreddine Nabi] is doing the same. 

“Nabi has instilled some confidence into Shabalala you can see the way he performs. If he continues to get some game time, we will see the talent of that boy," he added. 

“For now, he should just stay focused, work hard during matches and at training, then the best of him will come.”

Shabalala has started the season in a promising way as coach Nasreddine Nabi appears to trust young players. He has scored three goals and made two assists in seven starts across all competitions.

Having been mentioned as one of the next biggest things in South African football, Shabalala has to contend with the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns' Siyabonga Mabena, Kutlwano Letlhaku and Thapelo Maseko and Orlando Pirates winger Relebohile Mofokeng.

Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has criticised Nabi for burdening Chiefs youngsters with the responsibility of carrying a team that has been success-starved for almost a decade.

It remains to be seen how Shabalala and his peers will respond to that starting with next week's hosting of Richards Bay as they seek to rescue their waning Premier Soccer League fortunes.