Retired Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates legend Jabu Mahlangu believes the decline of KZN teams is partly due to selling their best players to Gauteng teams.
The relegation of Maritzburg United last season only highlighted the decline in performances of KwaZulu-Natal-based teams in recent years.
In the 23/24 campaign, that decline remains evident, with two of the province's teams at the tail end of the DStv Premiership table. Richards Bay and Royal AM have each collected just seven and eight wins from their 29 matches respectively.
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Meanwhile, none of the KZN teams are in the top eight of the log table after 29 matches played. AmaZulu stand a chance of finishing in the top eight but their fate hangs with Kaizer Chiefs who sit one spot above them on goal difference.
Despite their bright start to the season, Lamontville Golden sit 11th on the log table with four draw and a defeat in their last five matches. They too will be battling for a top eight spot in the last round of fixtures.
Speaking to media at the launch of the Siyabonga Sangweni Sports complex in Dondotha over the weekend, Mahlangu gave his assessment of what has gone wrong for KZN football.
"I think for me the talent is there in KZN," Mahlangu said.
"I think what KZN teams have to do is to go back to scouting structures and try and produce their own players.
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"I know they do produce their own players but most of the team they end up selling them to Gauteng teams. I think that's their challenge right now.
"But what I can say is [focus on] the scouting department, focus on developing their own players and once they are developed, try to keep them so that KZN can compete at the highest level."
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