Letsoalo on Chiefs’ radar as end-of-season clear-out looms

Indications are that the services of Eric Mathoho, Bernard Parker, Daniel Cardoso and Samir Nurković won't be needed at Kaizer Chiefs next season.

After their 2-2 draw against Swallows in their last league match of the season at FNB Stadium at the weekend, Chiefs interim coach Arthur Zwane emphasised their squad was not good enough this season, hence they aim to go all out for a striker. Someone who is nearly on par with Mamelodi Sundowns’ Peter Shalulile — someone like Victor Letsoalo of Royal AM. 

Zwane may not have named the aforementioned players as the men they need to sacrifice but the fact Amakhosi want to bolster the positions they play in makes it hard to see them staying.

“It’s there for everyone to see. I can say things that people might see differently and think I know too much or I am too harsh on players but the reality is we know we didn’t have players good enough to play for this club because we can’t keep repeating the same mistakes.

The reality is we know we didn’t have players good enough to play for this club because we can’t keep repeating the same mistakes.

—  Kaizer Chiefs interim coach Arthur Zwane

“I think we’ve been nursing some of the players’ feelings for far too long now. Things have to change,” Zwane reiterated. “It’s gonna be the biggest challenge for us to get everyone that we need as a club because when you look at left-backs, central defenders, left-sided central defenders and strikers that are available [are not what they want]. How many strikers we have in the country right now that have scored more than Shalulile? Can you get Shalulile from Sundowns? No.”

Letsoalo’s name then popped up. “So there’s only one player that’s trying ... maybe it’s Bienvenu Eva Nga, but is Eva Nga a Chiefs type of a player? That remains to be seen. Is Victor Letsoalo a type of player that can play for Chiefs? The answer is yes, but can we get him? Those are the challenges we’re faced with,” Zwane said.

Mathoho did not feature for Chiefs after his glaring error, when he passed to Knox Mutizwa to net the game’s only goal in their 1-0 defeat against Golden Arrows in March. Cardoso also committed the same blunder in Chiefs’ 2-1 loss to Cape Town City.

“As I have alluded in the past, there have to be changes to get things right,” said Zwane. Njabulo Ngcobo and Parker netted for Chiefs, while the Birds struck via two penalties by Dillon Solomons.