Willard Katsande compares Kaizer Chiefs missing element to Manchester City without Rodri - 'The number six we have is more of Shugela'

Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Willard Katsande feels that the club is still missing a player who can fill the defensive midfield position and show strength like he did during his time at Amakhosi.

Currently, the Glamour Boys have Njabulo Blom, Samkelo Zwane, and Sibongiseni Mthethwa occupying the role that the Zimbabwean businessman once held.

Nonetheless, these three players have faced criticism for seeming to fall short of expectations in the revamped Chiefs under Nasreddine Nabi.

Amid their difficulties, Katsande has also weighed in on the discussion suggesting the club needs to recruit a six, emphasizing that it is the most essential missing element, comparing the situation to that of Manchester City who are currently playing without midfielder Rodri due to injury.

"We are looking at this issue in a realistic way, if you look around the world, the dominance of teams, it can be national teams or any team, all the successful teams always have a strong six, whereby he is going to be a destroyer and give the team shape,'' Katsande said on SoccerBeat YouTube Channel.

"Look how Manchester City lost a little bit at the moment without Rodri, who is their defensive midfielder. The number six we have in South Africa, are more of 'Shugela', and when things are tough, they don't pull up and fight.

"Everybody wants the ball not knowing that their duty as number six is to protect and cover for the whole team. To be honest, if you look at our current team, we need a six in order to compete," he added.

"The team is good, the combination is there, but we are conceding every game, it goes down to that. Sometimes you need a strong six to give the defence a cushion. We need someone who will be consistent every season."

Chiefs signed Mthethwa from Stellenbosch FC in September 2023, with hopes that he would serve as the ideal replacement for Katsande, however, he has not met those expectations thus far.

Conversely, Zwane, who was promoted to the club's senior team early last year, was also seen as the potential successor to the former Sekhukhune United midfielder.

Additionally, the Soweto giants re-signed their academy graduate, Blom, from St. Louis City SC on a loan deal at the beginning of the season, but things have also seemingly not unfolded as anticipated up to this point.

Chiefs have an opportunity to bring in the number six Katsande is advocating for during the upcoming January transfer window, with Nabi having expressed a desire to add more players.

Mthethwa, Zwane, and Blom will aim to demonstrate to the Zimbabwean legend that they can fulfill the six role if given the chance to play against Polokwane City on Saturday, or Amakhosi's remaining league games before the window opens on January 1.