Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has credited the arrival of Lebohang Maboe as a key factor behind the club’s improved performances this season.
Maboe, 31, has re-joined the South African football spotlight after a career disrupted by a devastating knee injury, and has steadily established himself as a central figure in Chiefs’ midfield engine room this season.
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And according to Kaze, his influence extends well beyond what is visible on the pitch – as the former Mamelodi Sundowns star begins to stamp his authority on the club he starred for during his development days.
“I think that in every game model you use in a football team, the midfield is very important and when the midfield works well, the rest of the team follows together, having a player who understands the game, it leads the other players, technically and mentally,” Kaze said when asked by iDiski Times how Maboe has helped their game model they have been implementing.
Kaze went on to highlight the specific qualities that make Maboe such an effective operator in the system, pointing to his decision-making and forward-thinking approach as attributes that are difficult to manufacture.
“He knows when to go forward, when to slow down the game, he’s a player who is always looking to play forward — he plays very few passes back and he’s a player as well that has a very good delivery on set-pieces,” Kaze said.
“To have this kind of technical player, with his experience is invaluable; he lifts the team up.”
Chiefs now turn their attention to Polokwane City on Thursday – as they look to make it five consecutive league wins before the highly-anticipated Soweto Derby.
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