Midfielder Siphesihle Ndlovu is among the six players Kaizer Chiefs have signed in the ongoing transfer window.
The 28-year-old midfielder had a good season with a now-defunct SuperSport United, attracting the attention of the Glamour Boys. He is seen as a direct replacement for Yusuf Maart, who left for Austria a couple of weeks ago.
Andile Cele, who coached Ndlovu at Maritzburg City in the ABC Motsepe League after signing him from the KwaZulu-Natal Academies, has since explained how he nurtured Ndlovu and contributed to shaping his future.
‘Ndlovu was box-to-box but had a problem of studs up'
“I remember when he first came, he wanted to be like an old Sunday League player, pass stand, and then I remember having a chat with him,” Cele recalls as reported by iDiski Times.
“I said, you boy, you have an ability of running with the ball, of driving with the ball forward. So don’t act lazy. So work, like your age still allows you to do more, rather than just giving passes, standing as if you are towards your retirement. So, he listened, and then from there became a very changed player. He was very attentive to instructions. Yeah, he was special, special, special. He had imagination. He was also strong in duels, but most importantly, he scored a lot of goals.
“He was that number eight up, box to box, but he also had a problem of studs-up and got unnecessary red cards, but he’s a born competitor, a boy who’s spiritually connected with his God, disciplined, knows what he wants,” the AmaZulu U19 coach stated.
Ndlovu fits all the factors of performance
“I think that boy can play up until he’s 40, like Shoes [Moshoeu] because he really is looking after himself very well. I remember Maritzburg United came to me. He was first scouted when he was playing for us, by KZN Academy, when that international tournament was still around in Durban,” Cele added.
“So, he went there and played for them, and then after that, he came back to us. When he came back to us, there was this DDC thing, and Maritzburg United got the clearance. I remember they came and fetched it from my house. It was already signed by the late Mr Hlope the Maritzburg City chairman. And then we gave him our blessings. He went and joined Maritzburg United. By then, coach Fadlu Davids was still in charge of their DDC. So then, from there, he never looked back.
“We knew that he was destined for greatness. So, whatever is coming his way, I’m not surprised. Special player, disciplined, a rare breed, he has all the attributes. He fits all the factors of performance. You talk about your socially well-behaved, physically well-maintained, tactically coachable, technically superior,” Cele concluded.
Ndlovu is expected to play alongside Thabo Cele at Kaizer Chiefs.
