Arthur Zwane will be fair and firm in his team selections at Kaizer Chiefs.
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This is what he revealed this week after leaving one of the team’s promising youngsters Njabulo Blom out of the starting XI in their 3-0 win over Maritzburg United this week.
Blom is one of Zwane’s proteges from his time in the club’s development structures and was amongst the best performers last season.
And with Zwane now the head coach at Chiefs, it was expected that the likes of Blom, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and others from the club development would be top of the pecking order.
But that is not happening, and will not happen according to Zwane. He revealed this when answering a question about Blom’s absence from Tuesday’s game. New signing Dillon Solomons started at right back.
“When it comes to Njabulo, he knows he had a terrible game (against Royal AM) by his standards and those things happen. They happen even to the best in the world,” said Zwane.
“From the beginning of the season… (actually) before we went to preseason, all the players were told that we are going to create competition. There is no player who will leave his house knowing he has a place in the first XI.
“Everyone will have to dig deeper. Everyone will have to show that he is good enough to play for a team of Kaizer Chiefs calibre.”
Solomons had a good game against Maritzburg and could be the man Zwane trusts again when they meet Mamelodi Sundowns in a DStv Premiership match on Saturday afternoon.
“All players knew that (no one is guaranteed a place) very well. So, Njabulo knew as well that if he does not perform – and especially now that in his position at right back we have Reeve and Solomons who did very well today (Tuesday).
“He must up his game, and that is not only for him but everyone. (Kgaogelo) Sekgota came on today for Keagan Dolly and he went in there and gave us what we were expecting from him.
“And it’s healthy competition and no one owns a position. It starts from training,” explained the Chiefs mentor.
