Christian Saile has all the attributes to be a big hit at Kaizer Chiefs, says club legend Wedson Nyirenda. His biggest obstacle will be that it’s Chiefs — the way they are now, the Zambian adds as a rider.
Saile, the 22-year-old Democratic Republic of the Congo striker, signed by Chiefs from Zambia’s Nchanga Rangers in January, has impressed in his three performances.
On his debut in a 2-0 win against Royal AM he produced two stunning moments that made Amakhosi’s long-suffering supporters sit up and take notice. Soon after coming off the bench, Saile put the ball through Ricardo Nascimento’s legs and streaked clear on goal with a turn of pace. Not long after that he took the ball to the goal line to beat Thabo Matlaba and cross for Ashley Du Preez to score.
Saile battled in his second game off the bench, unable to break a deadlock in a laboured performance by his team drawing against 10-man TS Galaxy. He got his first goal in his third game. Starting a tight Nedbank Cup match away to Maritzburg, he showed a predator’s instinct, lurking for a chip in that was poorly dealt with by keeper King Ndlovu and tapping in at the line to break the deadlock in Amakhosi’s 2-0 extra-time win.
Nyirenda, himself a former Nchanga striker, followed Saile for two years when the Congolese was roped in to an ambitious a club trying to recapture past glory. Nchanga won many trophies — including the 1980, 1981 and 1983 league titles — in the late 1970s and 1980s. They were relegated in a bribery scandal in 2016, and again in 2018, prompting sponsors Konkola copper mine to appoint a new executive that set about making ambitious foreign signings to try to win promotion again.
Saile’s 19 goals saw Nchanga attain their goal at the end of the 2021-22 season. He settled well in the Super League, scoring seven in 16 games before Chiefs came knocking.
“The first time I saw that young man was two seasons ago when Rangers were still in the first division,” former Baroka FC coach Nyirenda, 56, said.
“When Nchanga brought in that executive committee a few years ago those guys were so committed to bringing back past glories. They were so versatile in their recruitment — they went into Congo and brought in a few players, and at last they got a good player in Saile.
“I drove to Chingola to watch a game and saw a very promising striker, someone who did not befit playing in that division. I watched him in another game in Ndola and saw the same traits of a very good striker, very fast and very strong runs. What I like most is he likes going forward and breaking the lines.
“I started following him. He helped the team get into the top-flight last season and was looking good. I thought a bigger Zambian club would pick him up [at the end of the first division campaign]. They tried, but Nchanga resisted it and he stayed.
“So when I heard he was coming to Kaizer Chiefs I thought, ‘Ja, he’s the type of player with a forward-going, direct game, a more advancing striker,’ and I thought Chiefs would do well with a forceful player like that.
“Because I watch a lot of Chiefs games — you know they are my team — where we are not breaking the lines. We create chances in front of the defence but not behind it.
“Saile’s other quality is his assist. When he knows the angle is not good for him he will create for others. When he has it to go for himself he will go.
“He carried Nchanga on his strong shoulders, and since he left they have struggled because they don’t have that punch up front.
“One of the things Chiefs should work on is his awareness when they lose the ball — where to stand and who he is marking. With marking he will chase, but his placement and where to stand need a bit of work.”
Nyirenda, who coached Zambia from 2016 to 2018, was a deadly striker whose brace for Chiefs that sunk Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 in the 1994 BP Top 8 final is still remembered.
He knows the pressure of playing for Chiefs, especially as a striker, where a few missed chances can see the club’s huge support on a player’s back. He says the pressure at the Chiefs Saile is joining — after an unprecedented seven seasons without a trophy, where the longest previously was one season — is far greater.
“I have told many players, ‘Before you go to Chiefs just ask me one or two questions, it may help you.’ But sometimes players will just decide to go.
“To play for Kaizer Chiefs right now is not easy. It is the most beautiful team to play for, but at this time [it’s difficult], and the reason is we have gone on a long drought without silverware. So the expectation from our fans is just too high.
“The patience is not really there. You can end up throwing a good player in there, throwing him away, and then he goes and shines somewhere else, because of this pressure.
“It’s not the fault of players, it’s not the fault of coaches, it is just how our club is — it’s a huge, huge brand, which cannot accept going a season without a trophy.
“Chiefs win something every season, that is what the club used to be. In our time we knew, , if we do not win a trophy we have problems. If you cannot win the league then at least a cup to make the fans happy. It’s been seven years, which is not Kaizer Chiefs.
“So if a player goes there, even if it’s Messi, he must feel that pressure. You must feel those millions of gold and black people on your shoulders.
“It is not easy — you miss a clear chance and get a draw and they are on you. It has to be a mentally strong player. I pray Saile will make it. It’s been a good response so far, let’s pray for the best to come.”
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