Calvin Marlin, the former goalkeeper coach for Cape Town Spurs, expressed surprise at the signing of Asanele Velebayi by Premier Soccer League giants Kaizer Chiefs.
The 22-year-old Velebayi has finally made his dream move to Kaizer Chiefs after being denied a transfer to the Soweto club in 2024 by his former team, Cape Town Spurs, which has since been relegated to the ABC Motsepe League.
"I worked with Asanele for quite a while during my time at Cape Town Spurs when Luke Baartman was still with the juniors. I remember Luke as a young player who scored a lot of goals," Marlin said in an interview with KickOff.
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"I'm surprised by Asanele's signing. He was inconsistent during our time in the National First Division (NFD) and struggled to secure a spot in the first team for a while.
"But maybe he's matured since I last worked with him over two years ago. I hope he has improved and that a team like Chiefs can help bring out the best in him.
"It's common for many young players to expect to jump straight into the first team after coming through the youth ranks. So these two I guess they were not different.
"As for Asanele Velebayi struggling to make the Spurs team while I was there, sometimes this is tied to self-belief and a lack of consistency. I'm referring to doing the right things at the right time. Asanele's off-the-ball reactions weren't very strong, and defensively, he needs to improve. Hopefully, he has made progress in that area," he added.
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"That's the reality of football: the more you play and stay involved, the more consistent you will become.
"My advice to both Asanele and Luke is not to become complacent or think they've made it; they need to work even harder now."
Image: Kaizer Chiefs
