Middendorp blames Kaizer Chiefs for Velebayi, Baartman struggles – ‘Not good enough’

Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has weighed in on the struggles of youngsters Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman at Naturena.

Velebayi and Baartman joined Chiefs to much fanfare after the Glamour Boys had won a legal battle against their club Cape Town Spurs but have struggled for gametime and impact since signing.

The two players rarely get opportunities with Velebayi making 13 appearances, without a goal or assist, while Baartman has managed just six games and still no start.

Middendorp says some players are not cut for the big teams, explaining what it takes to play for either Chiefs, Orlando Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns.

Some players not good enough for ‘Big Three’

“Everybody thinks you can play for Kaizer Chiefs, everybody thinks you can play for Orlando Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns,” Middendorp said on The Wash 2.0 podcast as quoted by FARPost.

“Everybody thinks you can coach [those teams]. I am not talking about the head coach only, I am also talking about the conditioning side, the analyst, and the level of all the experts around. Up to 10 [technical team members].

“I have seen a lot and worked with a lot of players who are or have been in the squad of Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns. I can say no chance for those players. They don’t have the required mentality, the resilience, not good enough. The players are not ready. They get excited. You see them so excited to go into the Orlando Stadium. They need 90 minutes to get it, and then the game is over.”

Middendorp on Velebayi and Baartman woes

The German coach then singled out what is behind Velebayi and Baartman’s struggles, pointing a finger at Chiefs for not doing their due diligence before signing the players.

“It is the mentality side, where you have to check also the recruitment side. There you have it,” he added.

“You can have Asanele Velebayi as an example. You can sign him. Fantastic player, everything looks good, nice, exciting, entertaining, perfect. You can take Luke Baartman, also a fantastic, lovable guy, also superb, but playing for Kaizer Chiefs? In the stage where they are, no chance,” Middendorp further stated.