Kaizer Chiefs star Nkosingiphile Ngcobo is fit again and in the fold. However, there are still persistent problems with his fitness.
Chiefs meet Richards Bay next
Kaizer Chiefs are next in action on Wednesday, 26 August, with an away clash against Richards Bay at 19:30. The Glamour Boys are two points behind their tally at this equivalent stage last season, when they won their first three league encounters. Nkosingiphile Ngcobo’s future remains unclear after he was an unused substitute in the recent 1-1 draw with Sundowns.
Ngcobo’s Kaizer Chiefs stats
His best campaign, in terms of appearances in the league, was 2020-21 when he made 25 outings and scored four goals. Injuries have ravaged subsequent seasons, limiting Ngcobo to 16 appearances in 2021-22, then 13 in 2022-23, 12 in 2023-24 and 11 in 2024-25. Last term, encouragingly, he made 16 league appearances. However, since the aforementioned campaign in 2021, Ngcobo hasn’t managed more than two goals in a single season. He’s only scored two goals in his last three Betway Premiership seasons combined.
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Chiefs target Lorch isn’t worth the fuss
Thembinkosi Lorch spent the better part of the two years on the treatment table leading up to 2023. In the 2022-23 campaign, he made just 12 appearances in the league, exactly 40% of the Betway Premiership season, and made just 15 league outings in the season before that. Was Lorch ever worth the trouble? Even when fit and available, he couldn’t string consistent performances together and his direct output of goals and assists wasn’t good either. Chiefs’ links to 33-year-old Lorch seem tenuous, at best.