Royal AM midfielder Sphiwe Cele’s lack of game time of late is due to a lack of consistency in his game, says his coach, John Maduka.
Cele, whose potential has seen him snared up by the Prosport International agency that is headed by former Orlando Pirates league winner Mike Makaab, was the bright spark in the first half of the season.
He scored two blinding goals against Pirates and another brilliant piece of genius skill against Stellenbosch FC, but still they lost all those matches.
“You know sometimes it is a lack of consistency,” said Maduka.
“You want a player that will play week in and week out with like Kabelo Mahlasela with the same form, you look at Thabo Matlaba is the same, it happens in football whereby a player loses the form,” Maduka said.
“It is with Cele now. There was a time when he lost form, but he was a young player at the end of the day. You don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but he is coming alright.”
Cele, as Royal AM lost to AmaZulu in the Nedbank Cup Last-32 at King Zwelithini Stadium on Thursday, came from the bench in the 89th minute for Khulekani Shezi as they were chasing the game. He was promoted last term, and he has not started a game since losing 3-1 to SuperSport United in October at TUT Stadium.
Another player who is facing the same situation of losing form is Mfundo Thikazi, who was a bright spark in the past two seasons and was once linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs last term. Unlike Cele, he was only fit to be on the bench on Thursday.