Former Zimbabwe international Willard Katsande has urged Sibongiseni Mthethwa to exercise patience if he is to win Nasreddine Nabi's heart.
Mthethwa was signed by Kaizer Chiefs from Stellenbosch at the beginning of the 2022/23 season to bolster the Soweto Giants' midfield.
However, the team crawled to the 10th-place finish in the Premier Soccer League, their worst ever. It prompted the management to make changes in the technical team and the playing unit and Mthethwa might be one of the casualties.
Be a good student, Mthethwa urged.
‘Ox' has not made a competitive appearance for the Glamour Boys this season, but Katsande suggests it is normal.
“Any coach wants a player who is eager to learn. When Stuart Baxter took over for the first three games, I couldn’t make the team. I went to him and said, “Coach, what can I improve? How can I be the player you want?” Katsande opened up as quoted by Far Post.
“Respectfully, I told him I wasn’t challenging his selection. He said, “Son, sit here,” and we started talking. I wasn’t making the team after that, but I kept applying what he was telling me. I continued asking him. When the opportunity arose, he told me it was the moment to show it, and I did. He put a lot of trust in me.”
The Zimbabwean went on to advise the 30-year-old on what to do to break into the first team, “You've got to be a good student and humble yourself. Ask those who’ve walked the path and learned every day. No matter how good you are, you need to learn constantly. People will provide you with good information. We’re here. We know the ins and outs of the position. We can also contribute and are always open.”
Blom adds stability to Kaizer Chiefs!
Njabulo Blom is another player who was signed by Amakhosi, and Katsande believes he is the right person to push the team forward.
“He adds stability. There’s fluidity, and the team plays with more freedom when he’s on the pitch,” he continued.
“When Njabulo is fit, you know how he will help the team. We don’t question his quality. I feel like whenever he plays, the team starts having a good balance. So we want him to be match fit so we can dominate matches for longer periods. He’s quality all round.”
The 38-year-old further asked the club to give Nabi time, “The coach is building a strong team which isn’t going to last us one season but a bit long term. He has short-term and long-term goals. We need to support the coach.”
On Sunday, Nabi helped the Glamour Boys win the Cufa Cup after beating Marumo Gallants in Bloemfontein.