Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane feels Kgaogelo Sekgota has improved so much this season he can now be considered their star player.
The Chiefs winger was used as a second-half substitute for most of his debut season but since the appointment of Zwane as permanent head coach and an intense fitness program in the off-season, he’s become one of the first names on the team sheet.
He’s started six of their nine league games this season, a far contrast to the two league starts he earned over the course of the 2021/22 campaign and his impressive form earned him a call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad in the most recent FIFA International break.
“Ever since we started this season, he’s been our star player to be quite honest, when you look at the number of chances we’ve created, even the chances we created and he missed, he’s always in good areas at the right time,” Zwane said.
“Unfortunately the execution was not right but when you look at him, he’s been doing very well – and we obviously want to help other players as well to be at the same level as him.
“He’s never going to be perfect, he’s going to make mistakes here and there because football is a game of mistakes, but so far so good for him and I’m happy for him because we had to put him on a program where we push him, we pump him.”
With three assists in his eight league outings this season, Zwane feels it’s only a matter of time before he improves his numbers added to the noticeable difference in output and work rate.
“We realise we need a player like him to last in a game, we couldn’t use him as an impact player all the time, so he responded positively and as you can see, at least now he can last in the game because whenever he’s on the ball anything can happen.
“Obviously we need to help him now to improve his decision making and in the final third entry – he’s going to be deadly as time goes on. The good thing now is that he’s no longer crossing the ball like to anyone or just whipping it in, he targets areas.”
The 25-year-old joined Chiefs from Swallows in July 2021, while he previously turned out for Bidvest Wits, Vitória Setúbal in the Portuguese top-flight, Lithianina side Stumbras since emerging from amateur club Polokwane United.
