Kaizer Chiefs youngsters Wandile Duba, Mduduzi Shabalala, Mfundo Vilakazi & Samkelo Zwane: 'These young boys have really bailed out the team, time for the senior players start contributing too' - Fan Vote

Teen sensation Mfundo Vilakazi scored the late winner and 23-year-old Samkelo Zwane walked away with the Man of the Match Award as Kaizer Chiefs' youngsters showed the senior colleagues, yet again, how it is done.

Chiefs are quickly becoming dependent on a group of young footballers who are supposed to be the future of the club, not the present.

Samkelo Zwane (23), Bradley Cross (23), Rushwin Dortley (22), Mduduzi Shabalala (21), Wandile Duba (20) & Mfundo Vilakazi (19) have all shown themselves in critical moments for Amakhosi this season and, given time to develop, will all be in the starting XI of the Soweto giants in the years to come.

However, Chiefs assistant coach Khalil Ben Youssef has already admitted the club is struggling to 'protect' the youngsters from over-exposure to first-team football at too young an age.

GOAL took to our Facebook page and set up a voting poll on our Whatsapp channel to find out which of the club's young talents has had the biggest impact on the team, according to the fans.

On our WhatsApp group vote the youngster to make the biggest impact is: Mdu Shabalala

While our WhatsApp group saw Shabalala emerge as the most impactful of the young stars emerging at Chiefs, on Facebook there was a broader conversation...

Church KJ Bafedile - These young boys have really bailed the team big time. Is time the senior players start contributing.

Masixole Junior - 3 of them are the spinal cord of Chiefs if they are having a bad day the team won’t win

Khabalenja Duma Ndaza - Yes we noticed Shabalala first but honestly all of them are coming out of their shells 👌at the perfect time, halfway through the league, we can push for number two at least.

Tauyentsho Lesley Nchabeleng - If we can play out the DDC team we can be a formidable force indeed.

Musa Mutsetse Sitshixo - The 1st Three Are Doing Very Well... Zwane Needs To Pull Up His Socks, Otherwise, He's Also A Good Player.

Ian Mpho Makhubla - None of them can reach the level of Mofokeng☠️☠️... But I'd choose Mdu Shabalala✌️

First up in terms of matches is a tricky cup tie against the Gauteng ABC Motsepe League side Free Agents FC. Tricky, as in a steady increase in the standards of amateur-level football in Safa's structures has seen six of these teams reach the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup in the last three years. And, according to the competition's official website, "No club has been ousted from the Nedbank Cup by lower league teams more often than Chiefs."

After their cup commitments, Chiefs youngsters return to league action to face... Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby!

There is no bigger game in the South African football calendar and with The Buccaneers flying high in both the domestic league and continental competitions, it will prove a stern test of the youngsters' footballing credentials.

Perform to their best in that match and they will find themselves as heroes to the Amakhosi faithful.