Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye has questioned club’s midfielder George Matlou who has struggled to live up to expectations in Naturena.
Matlou joined Kaizer Chiefs at the start of the 2022/23 season, arriving on a free transfer from Moroka Swallows.
However, his time with the Amakhosi has been significantly hampered by injuries, limiting him to just 35 appearances and two assists.
With his contract set to expire in June this year, former player Khanye has offered a critical assessment of Matlou's tenure, suggesting that he lacks the necessary character and mental strength to succeed at a big club like Chiefs.
‘THEY LACK THE CHARACTER NEEDED AT CHIEFS’
“There are some good players that get to sign for Chiefs, but the problem for some of them is that they lack the character needed to make it at a big club like Chiefs, and George Matlou is one of them,” Khanye told Soccer Laduma.
“For example, Thabo Cele is one player that I have never had doubts about, and all that I needed to see from him was how quickly he would be able to adjust at Kaizer Chiefs to produce the same performances I have always seen him produce at his previous clubs and in the junior national teams throughout his career.
“But for some players, things are different because they lack the strong mentality needed to make it at a big club like Chiefs. Matlou previously played overseas, and you would expect much more contribution from him to the team, but what has he done so far?
“I'm worried that in him we might see another Keagan Dolly kind of a story, who also came back from overseas and didn't contribute much at Chiefs.
“It was the same thing with (Kgaogelo) Sekgota who came back from Portugal and joined Chiefs via Swallows and did nothing after that. Yes, the guys might have had their moments here and there where they showed what they are capable of doing, but was that enough to play for Chiefs?
“I don't think so, and I'm not being hard on them. A player like Matlou should look at himself in the mirror and ask if he thinks he has done enough for Chiefs since joining the club, and maybe from there he can be able to do more.”
