Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi says Happy Mashiane might be granted more game time since Thatayaone Ditlhokwe has left Amakhosi. 

 Dithlokwe left Amakhosi this past week joining the Libyan giant Al Ittihad after staying for one and a half seasons in the Phefeni Glamour Boys. Nabi started with Mashiane in their 3-0 victory against Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup round of 16 on Saturday. 

“It’s a good analysis [about the players you mentioned], just add someone like [Pule] Mmodi but I say that now the number of players is big, in terms of quantity and quality,” Nabi said. 

“And now it’s concurrence, two or three players in each position. The concurrence is going to be hard, anyone who plays is the one who will keep their consistency in training and playing. 

“Happy Mashiane hasn’t played in a while and his tempo wasn’t always there, he’s very good offensively.” 

As Amakhosi signed the Congolese winger Glody Lilepo during the January transfer window, the former Espérance Sportive de Tunis coach added that having Lilepo alongside Gaston Sirino it’s something special because they help young players like Mduduzi Shabalala, Samkelo Zwane, Mfundo Vilakazi, and Wandile Duba to do well every time. 

“I think it’s a good thing for the young players to have such experienced players playing with them. I think this is going to push them to work harder, to get to the level instead of thinking that things will come to them very easily,” the Tunisian tactician added. 

“I think these players are in the phase of development, and their phase of development has not been done yet. They have a lot of things they still need to learn and cope like technically, physically, and tactically. 

“Today (on Saturday) or these days when they don’t play enough as much as before, I think that’s where we need to pay a lot of attention to them. I think we need to show them that we care about their development and they are in the right way and encourage them.” 

Duba is the only player among the young players of Amakhosi who has not yet played with Lilepo as the Chiefs’ academy graduate suffered a serious injury in their Nedbank Cup Last 32 game against Free Agents. The former Kaizer Chiefs DDC player also missed an opportunity to play the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates on 1 February.