Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi highly praised defender Edmilson Dove following a good performance against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Dove made his return to the pitch in May 2024 but the Mozambican international got injured during Chiefs’ pre-season training in Turkey and was forced to stay out for almost eight months.
On Saturday, Dove was given his first start of the season against the mighty Sundowns on and played the full 90 minutes.
With Thatayaone Ditlhokwe having left for Libyan giants Al Ittihad, Bongani Sam on Bafana Bafana duty for the CHAN qualifiers and Bradly Cross struggling to find his form, Dove seems to have taken the opportunity with both hands.
Nabi highly praised the left-footed defender, stating that he did very well defensively and they couldn’t ask more from him when it comes to attacking as they felt like he is not at that stage at this moment.
“I have to congratulate him, Dove, because it’s not easy to get into this kind of game and play 90 minutes with the intensity that the game had,” the Tunisian mentor said.
“After seven months of injury, it requires a lot of mindset; it requires a play with a big character.
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“Defensively, he gave us very good balance. Offensively, you cannot ask him everything in one day, but he managed to finish the 90 minutes.
“And he is a player that has played a lot, but since December, he’s been training consistently with his teammates, and we saw that today.”
