Velebayi: My Confidence Is Slowly Building Up
Kaizer Chiefs attacker Asanele Velebayi says his confidence is gradually returning after getting a run of matches under his belt.
The 22-year-old was involved in a long, drawn-out saga with Cape Town Spurs during the off-season, which went before both the PSL DRC and the SAFA Appeals Board. Both bodies eventually cleared him.
Spurs had demanded that Chiefs pay a transfer fee despite the club being relegated to amateur level. After finally being cleared, Velebayi has featured in the last four matches in all competitions for Amakhosi.
He made his Chiefs debut in the 4-1 win over Orbit College on 4 November, playing 76 minutes before being replaced by Gaston Sirino.
In Chiefs’ most recent match against Chippa United on Wednesday, Velebayi played until the 61st minute, making way for Mdu Shabalala.
With these minutes accumulating, Velebayi says his confidence is steadily growing.
“For me personally, I’m taking it game by game. My confidence is slowly building compared to when I made my debut, where I was a little bit nervous,” said Velebayi.
“It’s about learning every day and adapting. The more minutes I get, the more confidence I gain. I must say I’m adapting very well at the club.”
Chiefs will play their final match of 2025 when they visit TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.
The league programme will take a short break due to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January, with South Africa among the participating nations.
The fixture against Galaxy is one that still stirs emotions for Chiefs fans, recalling the Nedbank Cup final defeat in the 2018/19 season at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Galaxy, who were campaigning in the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the time, made history by becoming the first First Division side to win South Africa’s version of the FA Cup under Dan Malesela.
While both league meetings between the sides last season ended in draws, Galaxy are unbeaten in nine matches against Chiefs in all competitions.
Speaking about the challenge ahead, Velebayi said: “I’ve been watching them closely; they’re in pretty decent form. I know for sure it’s going to be tough and intense.
“We’ll be going all out. We need the right mindset from everyone who will be playing. They’ve been in good form, and we won’t take them lightly. We know it’s going to be a tough game.”
