Former Kaizer Chiefs youth coach Farouk Khan has urged attacker Mduduzi Shabalala to follow in the footsteps of Bafana Bafana midfielder Njabulo Blom.
Amakhosi were reported to have turned down an offer from Belgium for Mduduzi Shabalala and Khan has backed the decision, urging the teenager to stay put and establish himself in the DStv premiership before making the switch abroad.
READ | 'Game-changer' Blom crucial as St. Louis City return to winning ways
This was the route taken by former Chiefs midfielder Blom, who spent three years with Amakhosi' first team before making the move to Major League Soccer (MLS), joining St.Louis City.
"I think a player has to be excelling here to stand a chance over there (abroad)," Khan told KickOff.
"For Mdu, I would recommend a similar route to Njabulo Blom, who also had a difficult start to the first team football but took the time to develop well and he's in the MLS now.
When we say Njabulo Blom is a game changer for @stlCITYsc in the midfield, this is exhibit A that led to a quick sequence from Stroud to Indy. Top notch #AllForCITY work.
— Matt Baker (@MattBakerSTL) May 21, 2023
pic.twitter.com/Djv4qE9r32
"That foundation will serve him and hopefully at some point, he will take another step up to one of the top leagues in Europe. But it's very difficult in those leagues that is something people don’t understand.
"We all want our best players who be in the best leagues in the world but we have to be careful. He (Shabalala) has loads of talent in him but it still need to developed before sending to the top leagues."
Despite some phases of inconsistency, Shabalala has been one of the most relied-on players for head coach Arthur Zwane this season. The 19-year-old has featured in every single match for Amakhosi since the start of the year, scoring once and providing two assists.
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