Diski Challenge in the spotlight after Kaizer Chiefs big win

Kaizer Chiefs’ biggest win of the season so far was powered by two graduates of the DStv Diski Challenge, as Mduduzi Shabalala and Mfundo Vilakazi inspired a 4-1 demolition of Orbit College on Tuesday night.

The emphatic victory saw Chiefs draw level with Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the Betway Premiership table, with Shabalala bagging a brace and Vilakazi adding a third to underline the impact of the club’s youth development system.

Shabalala, who came through the ranks in the Diski Challenge powered by MultiChoice, opened the scoring just 3 minutes and 4 seconds into the match — the fastest goal by a Chiefs player in the PSL this season. He went on to score his second of the night, taking his season tally to three and his overall league total to 11 goals in 77 appearances.

All three of Shabalala’s goals this season have come at home, and his performance earned him the Man of the Match award. Speaking after the game, he credited the Diski Challenge for shaping his journey.

“Firstly, I’d like to thank the DStv Diski Challenge for giving us the platform to showcase our talent. It’s not just me — there are players who came through the Diski Challenge and are now playing abroad. We just want to thank MultiChoice. They must continue with this great work because the next generation will benefit greatly,” said Shabalala.

Vilakazi, another Diski Challenge graduate, scored Chiefs’ third goal — his first of the season and his first since January’s win over Sekhukhune United. The goal was set up by Shabalala, marking his first assist of the campaign and the first time he’s both scored and assisted in a single league match.

The performance of these two young stars not only highlighted the strength of Chiefs’ development pipeline but also reinforced the value of the DStv Diski Challenge as a springboard to top-flight success.