What would have become of Orlando Pirates tormentor Fiston Mayele had he joined Kaizer Chiefs? Mlungisi Ngubane convinced 'his form would have dropped by now'

Kaizer Chiefs were after Fiston Mayele, but the Soweto giants failed to sign the DR Congo international.

The 30-year-old was said to be keen to join the Soweto giants from Young Africans but ended up at Pyramids, whom he fired into the Caf Champions League final with a brace that sank Orlando Pirates in the semi-finals.

Veteran coach Mlungisi Ngubane believes that had Mayele joined Chiefs, his standards would have dropped.

"He could be a different player now if he had signed with Chiefs; his form would likely have dropped by now," Ngubane told KickOff.

"I'm convinced there’s a deeper issue within the Kaizer Chiefs team. They tend to sign good players, yet these players' performances decline once they arrive. 

"Chiefs players appear to choose specific games to perform in; they play well only when they feel like it and lack commitment. 

"From my experience in football, this often stems from divisions within the team. You might find that some players are favourites of certain members of the club's management; even top management might have their own preferred players within the Chiefs squad," added the former Umtata Bushbucks coach. 

"When players realize they're favored by particular management figures, they often lose motivation to push themselves because they feel secure. This seems to be the problem Kaizer Chiefs is facing right now."

Ngubane's remarks could be justified by how a number of players have arrived at Chiefs in recent years while on top of their game, only to lose form.

The likes of Khama Billiat, Keagan Dolly, Njabulo Ngcobo, Ranga Chivaviro and goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari were top players when they signed for Amakhosi.

But they all became pale shadows of their former selves, something Ngubane feels Mayele might have become had he joined the Soweto giants.

Chiefs are already looking for players to beef up their squad for next season, and it is to be seen if coach Nasreddine Nabi will still be in charge to bring in new men.

Focus is also on seeing whether the Soweto giants will continue signing players who struggle to make an impact at the club.