“It Was Huge For Me”: Phili
Kaizer Chiefs winger Langelihle Phili described scoring his first goal for Amakhosi against African champions Mamelodi Sundowns as a huge achievement after making an impressive start to his Chiefs career.
The 21-year-old winger opened his account for Amakhosi during Saturday’s Betway Premiership encounter against Sundowns, producing another memorable performance since joining from Stellenbosch.
Although Phili’s goal was not enough to secure all three points, with Chiefs held to a 1-1 draw, the youngster was delighted to make his mark in one of the biggest games on the domestic calendar.
“Obviously, being at such a great football institution as Kaizer Chiefs, you want to play in the big games. So, being able to play and score against Mamelodi Sundowns, the African champions, was huge for me, as could be seen from my celebration,” he told the Chiefs media department.
“For me to represent Kaizer Chiefs is an honour and a privilege, and being able to help the team is a testament to the people within the club and the organisation who have welcomed me with open arms.
“They have provided me with the environment to give something back by doing my best and putting in good performances.”
Phili has enjoyed an impressive start to his Chiefs career after making his debut in the club’s MTN8 elimination against Golden Arrows.
Since that first appearance, the Amajita winger has continued to show his quality and confidence. In his next outing against Sekhukhune United, Phili produced an influential performance and was rewarded with the Man of the Match award.
He followed that display by scoring against Sundowns, further underlining his growing importance to the Chiefs attack and giving supporters another reason to be excited about his potential.
The youngster joined Chiefs from Stellenbosch in a big-money transfer, with Amakhosi giving Stellies two players, Ashley Du Preez and Given Msimango, plus a cash component in exchange for the winger.
Despite his encouraging individual performances, Phili remains focused on contributing to the team and improving under the guidance of the coaching staff and his more experienced teammates.
“Still, my overriding aim is to help the team in any way possible,” he added.
“To maintain my form consistently, I must just keep listening to the coach and the technical team, learning from my teammates and trying hard every day to become a better version of myself.
“It’s the best feeling ever to be loved by supporters. When I arrived at the club, my priority was to earn the love of the fans. I’ll keep on trying to please them through maximum effort, which is something they appreciate.”
With his confidence continuing to grow, Phili will now be hoping to maintain his impressive form when Amakhosi return to action next Wednesday against Richards Bay in a Betway Premiership encounter in Durban.
