Chiefs News Today: Da Cruz told Baartman is not a striker

Latest Kaizer Chiefs news, including Fernando da Cruz receiving advice on Luke Baartman’s best position and Amakhsoi’s transfer business criticised.

Latest Kaizer Chiefs News

Da Cruz told Baartman’s best position

Former Cape Town Spurs assistant coach Benson Mhlongo believes Kaizer Chiefs forward Luke Baartman is not being used properly at the club.

Baartman joined Chiefs last season from Spurs and after struggling for gametime, he is now a key player under coach Fernando da Cruz.

The youngster has played eight games so far this season and scored his debut goal for the Glamour Boys but he has been used as a striker in most of the matches.

However, Mhlongo insists Baartman’s position is not a centre-forward and Da Cruz will not get the best out of him when he plays upfront.

Kaizer Chiefs forward Luke Baartman celebrates his debut goal for the club. Image: Kaizer Chiefs

“It takes a technical team to guide, give a chance to a player, for him to adjust to being an important player,” Mhlongo told KickOff.

“I see they are using him as a striker, but for me, he must either play on the side, or at least play him as a number 10 because he’s got brains. He knows how to create a chance.

“At Spurs, we misused him; after he took us to number 13, we never played him again. He created most goals when he had a free role. He is capable of creating a chance from nothing. If they stop playing him at Chiefs, he’s gonna lose his confidence.”

Kaizer Chiefs’ signings questioned

Langelihle Phili of Kaizer Chiefs shoots the ball against Mamelodi Sundowns. Image: Kaizer Chiefs

Meanwhile, former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Thabiso Malatsi has hit out at the club for making ‘poor’ signings during the last transfer window.

Chiefs brought in Faiz Abrahams, Langelihle Phili, Thabo Moloisane, Renaldo Leaner and Adolf Bitegeko during the last transfer window but Malatsi feels this is not enough.

Chiefs’ lack of depth, especially in midfield has been exposed so far amid their injuries with coach Da Cruz still not trusting Bitegeko when Labohang Maboe was injured and using full-back Reeve Frosler in midfield instead.

Kaizer Chiefs new signing Adolf Mtasingwa Bitegeko. Photo: Kaizer Chiefs

“Truly speaking, the new signings who were promising are Phili only,” Malatsi told KickOff. “You can be a good player coming from other teams but when you arrive at Chiefs, you find that your play does not suit them and you struggle.”

“Phili is the only signing that they managed to find, if we can get 11 signings like Phili, then Chiefs can be good. It’s not like I’m criticising, but what they are playing is not on,” he added.

“There are no players there, it is only Phili. Maybe including (Lebohang) Maboe, those are the only two players who looked like they were fighting and they know that Chiefs is not just any team, it’s a big team. You must know that ‘I play for the badge and I play for the supporters’. So they are playing for themselves, that is why (the results are bad).”