Kaizer Chiefs youngster Mfundo Vilakazi has been challenged to make greater use of the opportunities coming his way, with club legend Tsepo Masilela calling for more maturity and consistency from the young attacker.
Vilakazi has been part of the Chiefs senior setup for the past two seasons and has shown glimpses of his ability. However, the 20-year-old is still working towards establishing himself as a regular difference-maker for the Soweto giants.
Masilela believes Vilakazi and his fellow young attackers have plenty of potential, but says they need to improve their decision-making in the final third.
Masilela highlights Chiefs’ attacking concerns
Speaking to Soccerbeat, the former Bafana Bafana left-back backed the development of Chiefs’ young players but stressed the importance of balancing youth with experience.
“When I look at the list of Kaizer Chiefs youngsters, I think they are good for the future,” Masilela said.
However, he agreed with coach Fernando Da Cruz’s assessment that the Chiefs attack needs greater maturity.
“The coach said their attack lacks maturity, and lack of maturity leads to inconsistency. This is what I have seen from the team,” Masilela explained.
He believes the issue is particularly evident when Chiefs reach the final third, where players need to make decisive choices.
“Inconsistency in terms of form and decision-making, because the final third is not like any other part of the field. That’s where you need quality and you need to make good decisions,” he added.
Vilakazi challenged to become more clinical
Masilela specifically pointed to Vilakazi as a player who has been given opportunities but now needs to turn those chances into greater end product.
“Vilakazi is taking shots from everywhere but only has one goal, and it’s not even a cracker. For me, it shows the boy still lacks maturity, and he has been given huge support by the coach,” Masilela said.
The former Chiefs defender nevertheless acknowledged the backing Vilakazi has received and urged the youngster to take advantage of it.
“I hope he can grab the chance,” Masilela added.
The next step for Vilakazi
With Chiefs continuing to invest in young talent, Vilakazi has an opportunity to establish himself as an important part of the club’s attacking plans.
The challenge now is converting promising moments into consistent performances, better decision-making and more goals.
Masilela’s comments put the spotlight on an important stage of Vilakazi’s development: can the youngster turn the opportunities he is receiving into regular contributions for Kaizer Chiefs?
