Kaze justifies why in-form Lilepo was benched in Nedbank Cup loss to Stellies

Glody Lilepo was one of the Kaizer Chiefs players who started from the bench in the Nedbank Cup Round of 32 game against Stellenbosch.

The holders came into the fixture at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town hoping to get a win to stand a chance of defending their crown. However, things didn’t work well as they ended up suffering a 2-1 defeat to crash out. Coincidentally, it was Stellies who eliminated them from the Carling Knockout earlier in the season.

The 28-year-old Democratic Republic of Congo international scored in wins against Marumo Gallants and ZESCO United.

It explains why a section of the Glamour Boys fans felt it wasn’t ideal for the technical team to start the versatile attacker from the bench. However, coach Cedric Kaze has explained the logic behind the decision.

Why did Lilepo start from the bench?

“You know, it’s a rotation; you have to do it given all the minutes that the players have put in, all the kilometers that the data shows, and all those trips as well. I would say that is a must for the rotation,” he responded.

“But, you know, as well with the players that started the game, they are Kaizer Chiefs players, and they are supposed to play in these kinds of games. If you are a Kaizer Chiefs player, you need to be able to play against teams like Stellenbosch, and they did everything they could. Now we just have to look forward.

The players that started are Kaizer Chiefs players and they are supposed to play these kind of games against Stellenbosch, and they did everything they could.

“I learn everyday, especially after defeats. Most people think they are the best when they win, but in defeats you have to learn and take lessons out of it. My players also learned the hard way today, and this is a defeat that will push everyone to do more,” Kkaze added.

Lilepo has scored five goals in the 21 games he has played for the Glamour Boys across all competitions.