A new lease of life for Sibongiseni “Ox” Mthethwa at Kaizer Chiefs

The recent international break allowed Nabi and his technical team to run the rule over players who have not been regulars since the start of the season.

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Mthethwa impressed Chiefs assistant coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef during the Home of Legends Cup in Gqeberha. Nabi revealed that there was a particular profile he was looking for from Mthethwa.

''You understand with Ox for pre-season he was not plugged in the XI, after that I pushed him, boosted his morale to give a maximum in training and given him a specific profile,'' said Nabi.

Mthethwa has yet to feature for the Chiefs this season under Nabi, but things are looking bright for him after the latest developments.

He almost went out on loan before the transfer window closed, and SABC Sport understands that Nabi wants to give Him a chance going forward and assign him a certain role.

“The game needs specific qualities from some players. We need a profile for Ox, he is quality and can bring balance in the team. But it is a competition for all players,'' added Nabi.

Tonight, the Chiefs play the first of their two matches at the Peter Mokaba stadium this week against Richards Bay FC and will be looking to close the gap with the teams in the top half of the table. Nabi says three points is a must.

''Of course we are aware of the need for positive results this week. We know that we're going to play some difficult teams, starting with Richards Bay - we know that they have some inconsistent results and would want to come strong, but everyone understands the importance of getting positive results this week, the players and the technical staff. We know our mission, we are fully focused and prepared for the next two games,'' he expressed.

Chiefs will also host their game against another KwaZulu-Natal club, Royal AM, at the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane on Saturday evening (17:45).

 With Angolan centre-back Ignacio Miguel out on suspension, Given Msimango, one of the leaders in the team, is likely to get a run alongside Bafana Bafana defender Rushwin Dortley.

Msimango is singing the praises of his younger teammate after some excellent performances that have followed him to the national team.