Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye has questioned whether the club have the midfield quality needed to help new signing Langelihle Phili fulfil his potential.
Phili joined Amakhosi this week after completing his move from Stellenbosch FC. The young attacker is Kaizer Chiefs’ fifth signing of the season and the second player to move from Stellenbosch, following Thabo Moloisane’s arrival a few weeks ago.
Kaizer Chiefs have made a positive start to the new campaign, winning their opening match of the season. Khanye believes Phili is a promising addition to the squad but says the club must surround him with players capable of bringing out his best.
“He’s a player for a big team, and it’s been long coming,” said Khanye on iDiski TV.
“I mean the boy worked for it and he has bright future if he can remain humble when he arrives in Johannesburg because it’s different from Cape Town.
“I think it’s a good signing, but if they won’t compliment him…It’s like saying you want to eat good food, but you don’t buy the ingredients, so it’s going to be difficult.”
Khanye’s main concern is the absence of a creative midfielder who can consistently supply Phili and link the different areas of the team.
“Who’s going to cook and dish for the boy?
“Do they have a proper number 10 at Kaizer Chiefs who can fetch the ball, rotate it, and drive the midfield? I mean a playmaker? They don’t have that type of player.
“You have released [Gaston] Sirino, and not to say Sirino was great at Kaizer Chiefs, but he’s better compared to the players they have,”
The former winger suggested that Kaizer Chiefs’ decision to release Gaston Sirino had left them short of the kind of player who could support Phili. While Khanye stopped short of describing Sirino as an outstanding performer for the club, he believes the midfielder would still compare favourably with the current options available to Amakhosi.
Phili’s move represents another part of Kaizer Chiefs’ recruitment plans for the season, with the club also adding Moloisane from Stellenbosch FC. The Glamour Boys’ early victory has provided a strong start, but Khanye believes the team’s ability to develop and use Phili effectively will depend on the players around him.
The new signing could make his Kaizer Chiefs debut this weekend in the MTN8.
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