‘They Do Not Have Much Confidence’: Chiefs Legend Explains Shabalala and Velebayi’s Costly Misses

Legendary Kaizer Chiefs player Zebulon Nhlapo has spoken out about Mduduzi Shabalala and Asanele Velebayi's goal-scoring woes after Amakhosi's heartbreaking CAF Confederation Cup exit at the hands of Red Arrows.

On Friday, October 23, the Soweto giants faced the Zambian team at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban for the second leg of their match. They needed to win the second leg to recover from a 1-0 first-leg loss. In the end, Chiefs fell 3-2 in penalties after a 1-1 aggregate score, despite winning the match 1-0 on the nite.

If the Glamour Boys had taken advantage of a few good chances during regular time, however, the outcome may have been different.

The players' inability to score goals, according to Nhlapo, might be due to a lack of self-assurance that is influencing their judgement in crucial situations.

According to Nhlapo's opinion, the Chiefs' attackers are now lacking confidence.

His points bring to light an issue that goes beyond simple oversights; this is especially true when the Chiefs look for offensive consistency.

After Bradley Cross scored the equaliser in the 66th minute, Shabalala had two great chances to give Chiefs the lead.

After replacement Mfundo Vilakazi's superb run provided a great opportunity inside the penalty area, the midfielder shot first-time in the 79th minute, but his shot went over the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Ethan Chislett set up Shabalala for a golden opportunity. But Charles Kalumba, custodian for the Red Arrows, made a diving save.

Even though Chiefs needed another goal badly, Velebayi missed a late chance to score.

Chiefs were quite disappointed to be eliminated from the tournament as they had intended to advance to the group rounds. The club now has more incentive to perform well in their remaining home games after their departure.

Amakhosi will have another shot at winning hardware in the Carling Knockout, which is currently the focus of their domestic responsibilities.

As the season goes on, Shabalala and Velebayi must focus on regaining their self-assurance and being more composed while scoring goals.

The Chiefs have shown they can generate scoring opportunities, but they still need to score more goals this season to reach their goals.

What does Nhlapo's evaluation mean for the Amakhosi coaching staff in terms of assisting their offensive players in regaining the self-assurance necessary to perform under pressure?

In the next games, Shabalala and Velebayi will have a chance to refute the criticism, regain self-assurance, and prove that they are valuable members of the Chiefs team.

Source https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2114810122425745525