Chiefs warning to Pirates and Sundowns? Ex-winger predicts deadly Amakhosi combination 

Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Thuso Phala has downplayed speculation of a potential rivalry between academy graduates Mfundo Vilakazi and Mduduzi Shabalala and new marquee signing Langelihle Phili for the spotlight at the club.

Since his arrival at Naturena, the 21-year-old Phili has been the centre of attention. This has led some supporters to closely analyse the on-field actions of the club’s homegrown talents, questioning if the pressure to perform is affecting their decision-making.

These concerns were highlighted during Chiefs’ 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United. Vilakazi and Shabalala were introduced as substitutes for the final 25 minutes, with Shabalala sealing the win with a late goal. However, some fans pointed out instances where they believed one of the academy products chose not to pass to Phili in promising attacking situations.

Ex-Kaizer Chiefs star dismisses jealous talk

Phala, however, rejected these claims, stating that such dynamics are a normal part of life at a major club and do not necessarily lead to animosity.

“I think Mfundo knows that he’s the diamond of the team, and ‘Mdu’ knows that too,” Phala commented on the Omnia Audio Africa YouTube channel as quoted by KickOff.

“I haven’t really noticed their on-field behavior, but as a former player, when a new player arrives and gets all the attention, it obviously signals he is the new star.”

“But that does not bring bad blood,” he continued. “You see it at big teams. If you bring Mbappe to Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr wouldn’t feel like he’s no longer a big player there. These things happen. We might be critical and say he should have passed to Phili here or Phili should have passed to Mdu there. But I don’t see a rift happening.”

How Amakhosi trio can form deadly attack

Instead of friction, the former Chiefs star believes the combination of Phili, Vilakazi, and Shabalala has the potential to become a formidable force for the Amakhosi, provided they are given the opportunity to build chemistry.

“The sooner they gel, create chances, and start games together, the more they will become a deadly combination,” Phala explained.

“I see them becoming even better friends and colleagues because they are young, exciting and the future of South African football. If they work together, they will create chances, Chiefs will win, and the boys will get a chance to play for the national team,” he added.