Kaizer Chiefs need a big No.9‚ says Cyril Nzama

Signing a quality centre-forward would go a long way in solving Kaizer Chiefs’ unconvincing form problems‚ former Amakhosi right-back Cyril Nzama has said.

Nzama said that currently Chiefs have too many similar strikers‚ such as Gustavo Paez and Bernard Parker‚ and that has contributed to the team going two-and-a-half seasons without a trophy under Steve Komphela.

He said Komphela’s current 3-5-2 formation – which had initial success but in which Chiefs have suffered a 1-0 Telkom Knockout defeat against Bidvest Wits‚ then drew 0-0 in the league against AmaZulu on Wednesday night – which relies on wingbacks and crosses‚ could work better with a big centre-forward.

“I think in terms of their philosophy of play‚ yes [they are struggling]. But I think maybe they are lacking a few players in that team who will make that system work‚” Nzama said.

“You’ve got your strikers who are very mobile and sometimes Chiefs‚ when they go forward and bring crosses there‚ you’ll find there are maybe too few players in the box.

“I think‚ if I was Steve‚ maybe I would work on going more inside‚ to have numbers inside the box. Maybe they might get something out of it.

“And maybe Chiefs can get somebody‚ a very different striker. Because remember they have similar strikers right now – they will need your typical No.9 player.

“Because they play more with two 10s‚ so they don’t have a No.9 type of player. A player like‚ from my day‚ Collins Mbesuma.

“Players who will knock things down and then these other two 10s will come and feed off of that.

“Chiefs don’t have such a player. And maybe come January they will get something.”

Nzama admitted that Chiefs have lost big‚ experienced players in recent seasons in Tefu Mashamaite‚ Reneilwe Letsholonyane‚ Mandla Masango and George Lebese‚ and not replaced them satisfactorily.

“If you look at that team‚ Steve and the technical staff are trying to introduce those youngsters from the development‚ which is good‚” he said.

“But having said that we have lost a few experienced players who were not replaced properly. And maybe it’s something that they need to go and look at. But it will take time.

“I’m a big fan of trying to get these youngsters into the first team‚ so that they can play and become used to the top-flight.”