Who doesn’t love a kid from the junior ranks? It seems Kaizer Chiefs may have quietly promoted another youngster, and this one could be stepping straight into the matchday squad.
19-year-old goalkeeper Naphtali Mokoena was spotted arriving at King Shaka International Airport with the first team on Thursday morning.
BETWAY PREMIERSHIP: DURBAN CITY FC VS KAIZER CHIEFS
The Glamour Boys are in eThekwini to battle Durban City on Friday night, kick-off is 19:00 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The teenager was a key figure in helping Amakhosi lift the 2024/25 DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) title, earning high praise for his composure and agility between the posts.
Indications are that Brandon Petersen will start in Durban, with Mokoena likely to take a spot on the bench, especially if the second choice, Bruce Bvuma, has remained in Johannesburg.
THE END FOR FIACRE NTWARI?
Meanwhile, a bigger talking point is what this means for Fiacre Ntwari. The Rwandan international hasn’t been seen near a Kaizer Chiefs’ matchday squad since the infamous DHL Stadium incident earlier this month.
During the Carling Knockout last-16 defeat to Stellenbosch FC, Ntwari refused to be substituted before the penalty shootout, a moment that stunned more than 40,000 fans in the stands and millions watching on TV. He went on to save just one spot-kick as Stellies’ Sage Stephens stopped two, sending Amakhosi crashing out.
That night appears to have been the final straw for the technical team. Since then, Ntwari has vanished from selection, with Bvuma moving up to second-choice and now Mokoena breaking into the senior setup.