With Kaizer Chiefs Football Manager Bobby Motaung seemingly taking a backseat on player recruitment, the professionalism of the club's scouting network will be tested, particularly with Flavio Silva.
Motaung used to be criticized for bringing foreign players who did not meet the grade at Chiefs, particularly in the last five years, since the last success with the likes of Knowledge Musona.
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Mamelodi Sundowns have been having more hits than misses in the foreign market, particularly from South America, which seemingly led to Amakhosi bringing on board Tera Maliwa as Head of Scouting and Recruitment, in a department that was not formalized before the beginning of last term.
The signing of Portuguese striker Silva, who boasts 39 goals in his last two seasons for Indonesian club Persebaya Surabaya, raised expectations that the club could finally get it right.
However, fans have been critical of the player in pre-season friendlies and seem to be skeptical of his chances to make it.
Former midfielder Jabu Mahlangu has suggested that although scouting dynamics have changed, technology and data cannot replace judging a player physically and in person during games before deciding to bring him over officially.
"Knowing Kaizer Chiefs the one I played for in my generation (and) before me, they brought foreign players who had what we didn't have ,but (these days) with regards to scouting, I don't know," Mahlangu said on his Diski Shandis Podcast, on the topic of Silva.
"Bobby said it himself on Robert Marawa (MSW on 947) that scouting from the past and these days has changed. He said he used to go (scout) players physically, so I don't know now what he meant. Are they just on the laptop, check videos... because a person would package something good.
"That's what he said. When I say I agree with 'Bobsteak', I'm not bashing the current scouting team or how scouting works now, but in football, personally, you have to be on the ground physically. This thing of checking the laptop... On this one, I put my foot firm on the ground, you have to be there (physically)," Mahlangu insisted.
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For the sake of background, Motaung said on MSW...
"I used to go ehlathini (in the bushes) in Zimbabwe and wherever else and look (for talent) with the naked eye. But we don't scout with the naked eye anymore.
"They will tell you about how much the player runs, because it is not like before where you go to the bush and say, 'I like this player'. Recruitment has changed," Motaung reiterated, in part.
Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
