Chiefs coach on Diski Challenge title race: 'I've already won'

With the progress of Wandile Duba, Samkelo Zwane and Mduduzi Shabalala, who are now playing for Kaizer Chiefs first team, coach Vela Khumalo believes that he has already won this season.

Chiefs Head of Technical and Youth Development Academy Molefi Ntseki confirmed early this month that the trio are now first-team players as they are happy with their progression.

Said Ntseki: “Because of the quality that was assembled for the Engen competition and the DDC, we saw three of our Reserve Team players getting promoted to the first team, Mduduzi Shabalala, Samkelo Zwane and Wandile Duba. From 1 December they started training fulltime with the first team squad.”

Their promotion left coach Khumalo grinning from ear to ear as he could also see progression in his work, and also made him change his mind about winning the league title which he claimed to gun for at the beginning of the season.

“I have already won,” an elated Khumalo told supersport.com.

“My players are going to the first team and that of course means we are weakened. Our chances of challenging for the title are slim now because we are introducing new youngsters which might take time to adapt in the Diski Challenge.”

That has also given him an opportunity to introduce more exciting youngsters.

In their first game of the year against Stellenbosch FC, Chiefs handed a Diski Challenge debut to 14-year-old Neo Bohloko.

Khumalo said there would be more Under-15 players coming through.

“Now we have to compete in finish in the top four at least. At the end of the season we will have to defend the Diski Shield title,” added Khumalo.

On the weekend Amakhosi will feature in the Diski Challenge festival at Giant Stadium in Soshanguve.

They will face SuperSport United, another team that have had an influx of young players moving from Diski Challenge to the first team.

Their match will take place on Sunday at 12:30 afternoon.

Other fixtures that form part of the festival include a top drawer between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, Swallows versus Stellenbosch FC and Marumo Gallants versus Cape Town City FC.