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The former Mamelodi Sundowns captain saw little time to play with Ernst Middendorp, but the new coach has plans for him
Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt says he plans to permanently make right-back Ramahlwe Mphahlele a central defender because the 30-year-old can no longer run the flanks effectively due to his age.
Mphahlele lasted the entire game Sunday as center-back during the Chiefs’ 2-1 win over Maritzburg United in the MTN8 quarterfinal.
It was a rare start for Mphahlele, who had lost his place to Reeve Frosler last season under former coach Ernest Middendorp.
But Hunt seems to have big plans for the former Mamelodi Sundowns captain.
“I think Ramahlwe Mphahlele will play center-back most of the time,” Hunt told the Kaizer Chiefs website.
“At his age, I don’t see him going up and down the flanks as much as he used to.
“We also didn’t have much in the center with Mulomowandau Mathoho injured. We had Siyabonga Ngezana, who arrived in the second half. I had a talk with ‘Rama’ and worked with him throughout the week. If nothing happens that will be more of a plan long-term “.
However, Mphahlele will have to compete for a starting position at the heart of the defense against Daniel Cardoso, Mathoho and Ngezana.
Hunt was named the Chiefs’ coach in September, and the former Bidvest Wits tactician says the Amakhosi are still in the works.
He has demanded some “muscle memory” and “game intelligence” from his positions as they compete for a first major silver piece since winning the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title in 2015.
“It’s going to take a little time,” Hunt said.
“I don’t like talking too much, I want to go into training camp and prepare for the next game. We will work harder in boot camp to get some muscle memory.
“There are certain things that I saw that we must do better. The most important thing is the mentality and intelligence of the game, which comes from the training field with practice.”
After beating Maritzburg on Sunday, the Chiefs begin their PSL campaign against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
