Radebe: Hunt hopes new Kaizer Chiefs signing plays like ex-Orlando Pirates midfielder Ntshumayelo

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt has revealed that the club has added Sabelo Radebe to their first-team squad.

The promising central midfielder, who turned 21 on Wednesday, has been playing for the Amakhosi reserve team in the DStv Diski Challenge.

The Soweto giants have promoted youngsters from their academy and reserve team with the club banned from registering new players following the illegal signing of Andriamirado 'Dax' Andrianarimanana in 2018.

Hunt, who unearthed arguably South Africa's greatest striker of all-time, Benni McCarthy, has been impressed by Radebe and he hopes the youngster can play like former Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United central midfielder Thandani Ntshumayelo. 

What's been said

"I brought a guy up from the Diski team last week, well he's been here for two weeks now. I saw him play once and said, 'He's got to come to the first team,'" Hunt told the media. 

"I played him yesterday in a little friendly game, and he was outstanding. He's another [youngster coming through], so hopefully, I'm going to register him and we might put him in the team for the weekend.

"So, yeah, he's another one that's come through and we've got quite a few at the moment. His nickname is 'Bibo'. If he can play half as well as the Bibo [Thandani Ntshumayelo] I had at SuperSport [United], who I gave a chance to."

Why does it matter & what's the bigger picture?

Hunt also promoted Reeve Frosler from Bidvest Wits FC academy to the club's first team in 2016 and he helped the now-defunct side win the PSL title, MTN8 and Telkom Knockout, before joining Chiefs in January 2019. Radebe has followed in the footsteps of Darrel Matsheke and Lebohang Lesako, who were also promoted from Chiefs' reserve team this season following Hunt's arrival at the Naturena-based giants. Current first-team players Itumeleng Khune, Bruce Bvuma, Siyabonga Ngezana, Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya, Njabulo Blom, Happy Mashiane, Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Keletso Sifama, Matsheke and Lesako were promoted from either the club's academy or reserve team.  It remains to be seen whether Radebe will make his professional debut for Amakhosi when they face Richards Bay in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 match at FNB Stadium on Sunday.

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