Kaizer Chiefs' development structures have been heralded after Samkelo Zwane became the latest precocious footballer to emerge from the club's conveyor belt of talent.
Zwane, the son of former Orlando Pirates star Eugene Zwane and distant relative of head coach Arthur Zwane, became the latest in a string of Kaizer Chiefs academy graduates to debut with the first team after featuring as a substitute in Sunday's 3-1 DStv Premiership win over Stellenbosch FC.
The 20-year-old replaced Yusuf Maart with around 12 minutes remaining on the clock and performed admirably both on and off the ball as the Amakhosi saw off the threat of a 10-man Stellies side to earn an all-important three points on the night.
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"You know, that is what we teach in our development, that arrogance to demand the ball and to protect the ball," Arthur Zwane said after the match. "You must boss the midfield when you play, and he is a midfielder. He can play as an eight or as a six, so we had to give him the opportunity because we wanted him to slow the game down.
"He has good technical ability as well as vision, so he can switch the ball with ease and generate so much power. Like I said, it's good to give these boys the opportunity and especially if he's going to go in do well like he did, but I still believe he could have even done much better.
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"That's because we know the quality he has got as a player. So, this will encourage other youngsters to work even harder because they stand a good chance with us. I know them well, I spend most of the time with the development. If we have to give another youngster who is 15 years old an opportunity, we will do that."
Zwane's cameo meant that no fewer that five players from Chiefs' academy featured during the match, including captain Itumeleng Khune and more recent graduates Siyabonga Ngezana, Njabulo Blom and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, while Sabelo Radebe was an unused substitute.
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Mduduzi Shabalala and Aiden McCarthy are also in the first team squad this season while others such as Wandile Duba and Mfundo Vilakazi have been touted to become future stars following their impressive performances at youth level in recent times.
"You must have seen, even with our young boys because of the structure that is in place from the development, that we have started seven years, if not eight years ago, with this way of playing," Arthur Zwane, who previously oversaw the club's youth ranks, added.
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"We knew that with time, we would start dominating. Our boys have just won the Engen tournament, they just won Gauteng Development League, they won the Engen Champ of Champs, and our DStv Diski Challenge squad won the cup (the 2022 DStv Diski Shield).
"The only thing you need to focus on is the way of playing and the results will always come, when you have that way of playing. We have been building this team for the last seven years, and now you can see that something good is coming from our development.
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"The only time you can encourage these players is by giving them an opportunity so that those who are doing well in the DDC and with the U19's, they have hope, that if they see Zwane playing today then they also have something to look up to, to say, 'You know what, I also want to push, I want to be part of the first team.'
"Right now we have about eight players who are with the national U20 team, so that alone tells you that we are on the right track. We are not in a hurry. We will take things one step at a time but we know that we will get it right at some point."
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