He made just three appearances in Chiefs' last nine games, but Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyethemba Sithebe hopes that his inspiring performance against Mamelodi Sundowns could go a long way in getting back into Arthur Zwane's plans.
Read: Klate Defends Sundowns, Questions Other PSL Teams
Sithebe started the season like a house on fire following his move from AmaZulu.
His partnership with Yusuf Maart in the heart of midfield, the same combination that led Bafana Bafana to a COSAFA Cup victory in 2021, left the club's supporters excited.
However, a loss of form saw Sithebe left out in the cold, with rife talk about an exit from Naturena.
In Chiefs' recent loss, their third in a row, the 30-year-old was introduced as a second half substitute in place of Samkelo Zwane to great effect. He provided much-needed control and shape in the midfield, something that Chiefs lacked as they went down 1-0 to the Brazilians.
And now he is hoping that his inspired performance could spark a turnaround for him.
"It feels good. I have been out of the team since October, and I have been waiting for my chance," he told the club's official website.
"Obviously, if you are not playing games, you lose confidence and stamina. But I trained hard to be ready for my chance. The coach gave me the opportunity and I was happy to play again.
"I was satisfied with my performance coming into a big game. The coach told me I played well so, for me, that gave me confidence to do better in the next game," he continued.
That next game is against Royal AM, a side that managed to inflict a 4-1 defeat on Chiefs in the first round of the DStv Premiership; although Sithebe is of the opinion that his side have learnt their lesson from the defeat.
"We have watched them and done our analysis on how they play, their style, formation, everything.
"When we played them earlier this season we were still building, with a lot of new players, but now I think we all know each other better and we will go into this game to try our best to get the three points. We know them and we know how they play, and we need to capitalize on their weaknesses," he added.
