Kaizer Chiefs MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) coach Arthur Zwane insists that first-team coach Giovanni Solinas is not responsible for turning away Chiefs’ academy graduates.
Media speculation has been running rife suggesting that since the Italian’s arrival at the Soweto giants, several of the Amakhosi’s budding talents who were believed to be on the verge of making the jump to the first team have been loaned out or sent back to the reserve team.
Former Chiefs wing Zwane has categorically denied these rumours, saying that if that were the case, then defender Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya would not have played for the first team at all this season.
‘That is not the truth. Yes, they are still first-team players. If that was the case [of sending youngsters away], Ntiya-Ntiya was not going to feature in the first team,’ Zwane told Sowetan Live.
Chiefs’ opening MDC clash saw them field a number of first-team players in Bruce Bvuma, Given Thibedi, Ryan Moon, Bhongolethu Jayiya, Wiseman Meyiwa and Letlhogonolo Mirwa.
MultiChoice Diski Challenge: Golden Arrows vs. Kaizer Chiefs
Starting line-up: Bvuma, Blom, Shopane, Thibedi, Ngcobo ©, Meyiwa, Jayiya, Moodley, Moon, Twala, Mirwa
Subs: Maphutoma, Radebe, Mbatha, Lekoatsa, Mashiane
Head Coach: Arthur Zwane #Asidlali #KCYouth #HailTheChief
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) September 9, 2018
Zwane said that these players featured at the Hammersdale Stadium in their victory against Golden Arrows in a bid to get some much-needed game time.
‘I just wanted to give them game time. I felt they needed it, especially a player like Moon. He’s still young. It’s not good for him to sit on the bench.
‘Wiseman as well, those are players who need to play,’ he concluded.
Chiefs’ victory against Arrows was historic in that Chiefs had not won their opening MDC fixture in the last two seasons.
Photo: Gallo Images
