Kaizer Chiefs star Nkosingiphile Ngcobo urged to shed 'potential' tag - 'He has never hit the ground running'

Hlompho Kekana has issued a stern warning to Kaizer Chiefs star Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, insisting the midfielder must now move beyond simply being labelled a player with potential.

He stressed the importance of turning those qualities into consistent performances and becoming someone the team can rely on.

"I think we can all agree that in football you can't have potential forever," Kekana said on SoccerZone.

"You must reach a state where you are a player that a team can rely on."

Ngcobo’s technical ability and creativity have long been regarded as some of his biggest strengths.

Kekana pointed to his passing range, eye for goal and ability to produce moments that can change the course of a game.

"He has huge potential, this boy - we know that he is one of the best players that we have in terms of creating moments," he continued.

"He knows how to pick a pass. He scores goals; he’s got good technique in him.

Kekana believes Ngcobo’s biggest challenge at Chiefs has been his work rate, which has limited his ability to establish himself consistently.

He feels the midfielder must improve that side of his game to make the most of his ability and play regularly each season.

"But he has never hit the ground running at Chiefs, simply because he did not work so hard in terms of work rate - I think that’s the only thing that needs to happen [change] with him because if you are a player with that ability, you must make sure that you are playing [regularly] every season."

The numbers tell their own story, with Ngcobo managing just 55 appearances across the last four seasons.

At 26, Kekana believes the midfielder needs to find a way to stay involved more consistently if he is to finally show what he can do at Chiefs.

"He is 26 now. In the last four years, he has played 55 matches, so he’s been playing [approximately per season] 13 matches, 13 matches in the last four years.

"That’s not good enough for a player of that calibre," Kekana concluded.