While Orlando Pirates continues to successfully integrate young talents
from its development team into its senior squad, rivals Kaizer Chiefs are
struggling to provide a similar pathway, with an Amakhosi insider blaming
immense pressure at the club for stifling their prospects.
The difference is increasingly visible on the pitch. Pirates’ 20-year-old
starlet Camren Dansin recently announced his arrival by scoring a stunning
goal against Mamelodi Sundowns. This follows a trend of Bucs academy
graduates becoming key first-team players, not just squad fillers.
In contrast, despite having promising talents, Chiefs has seen very few
development players establish themselves. While Mfundo Vilakazi is currently
the club’s most prominent youth product, he has yet to become a regular
starter. Other promising players, like Puso Dithejane and Khulumani Ndamane,
had to leave Amakhosi for TS Galaxy to make their mark.
According to a Kaizer Chiefs insider who spoke to PSLSA, the club has
players with the talent to succeed, but a culture of pressure prevents their
promotion.
“The pressure is different at Orlando Pirates,” the source stated. “For me,
(a player like) Mohau Nkota at Chiefs would not have been promoted. I know
Chiefs. Chiefs would have never promoted Nkota. Not that he’s not
deserving… Look at Khulumani Ndamane, why did we not promote him?”
The insider pointed to the recent promotion of defender Aden McCarthy as
evidence of a reactive, rather than proactive, approach. They claimed
McCarthy only got his chance due to injuries to senior defenders Rushwin
Dortley and Given Msimango.
“McCarthy was promoted because of injuries to others and timing… If it
wasn’t for that, then McCarthy would have been loaned out,” the source
revealed. “Chiefs wouldn’t have started that boy (Camren Dansin against
Sundowns). We have not been starting Mfundo (Vilakazi).”
The source also questioned why a prolific young scorer like Neo Bohloko, who
was dominating the DDC at just 14, wasn’t integrated sooner, drawing a
contrast to how young talents are trusted overseas.
Ultimately, the insider believes the consistent trophy-winning at Pirates
creates a more stable environment for youngsters to settle, a luxury Chiefs
have lacked. While Amakhosi has a pipeline of future prospects—including
Nkosana Mbuthu, Sfiso Timba, and Donay Jansen—the club’s inability to bridge
the gap between academy potential and first-team impact remains a pressing
issue.
