He joined Kaizer Chiefs as the league's 2020/21 Defender of the Season, but Njabulo Ngcobo's career has gone backwards since he walked into the Naturena Village gates. The defender has gone from being a Bafana Bafana defender to fringe player in less than two seasons and it does not look like his situation at the club will improve, as it's understood that he is not in the plans of head coach Arthur Zwane, who has consistently used the likes of Edmilson Dove, Zitha Kwinika and Siyabonga Ngezana in defence. Soccer Laduma looks into Ngcobo's situation at the Soweto giants, with a possible exit on the cards.
What the Siya crew has been told…
With just two months left before the end of the season, Kaizer Chiefs defender Njabulo Ngcobo will get to know what the next step in his career is, with a strong possibility that he could leave Naturena after a difficult period with the club. The Siya crew has been made to believe that management are set to deliberate over the future of the former Swallows FC player, with sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr understood to be the one who will make the final call regarding the future of the 28-year-old. According to information received by this publication, the big defender, who has gone from winning the DStv Premiership Defender of the Season to becoming a fringe player at the Soweto giants, may not form part of the plans of head coach Arthur Zwane beyond the current season, with the side expected to go into the market to yet again try to put together a side capable of challenging for the biggest prize in South African football – the league title. Ngcobo, whose contract at the club is due to expire in June 2024, has made just nine appearances in all competitions, featuring in the starting line-up on four occasions, and has lost his place in the Bafana Bafana squad, a far cry from when he was one of the regulars in the early stages of Hugo Broos' tenure. He's played just one minute of competitive football in 2023, when he came on as an extra-time substitute in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 clash against Maritzburg United, and there is little chance of him getting to play much before the end of the campaign. Chiefs signed Zitha Kwinika and Edmilson Dove this season and Ngcobo moved down the pecking order. As things stand, the Soweto giants have secured the services of Thatayaone Ditlhokwe on a pre-contract from SuperSport United, having missed out on signing Luke Fleurs from the same club. They are understood to also be looking at the possibility of signing Given Msimango from TS Galaxy, who are open to selling their captain at the right price, as reported by Soccer Laduma last week. One of the big concerns at the Glamour Boys is that, from the time he arrived, the 28-year-old has not been able to take his game to the next level. Ngcobo loves playing from the back, but the Siya crew has been informed that there are concerns at times over his lax approach to the game, which can lead to errors at the back, as it did last season when Amakhosi were beaten 2-1 by Golden Arrows. The defender was taken off by then interim coach Zwane, but showed his displeasure by not acknowledging a handshake from his mentor. Efforts by then goalkeeper coach Lee Baxter to quell the situation were met with a stern show of rejection by the former Swallows FC man. Stuart Baxter had just left Chiefs at the time and the Brit was not always convinced that Ngcobo was the right man to play in defence, but the player's actions against Arrows then made things even more difficult, as is currently evident now with gametime hard to come by. Amakhosi will make a call on the player's future, with the possibility of an exit. They could put the player on the transfer market to allow interested clubs to make an offer for the Folweni-born star, but a mutual separation has not been ruled out, to allow him to leave as a free agent. A loan move is also not ruled out at this stage, to give Ngcobo an opportunity to prove himself elsewhere before a decision is made on whether to extend his contract or not. The Siya crew understands that Ngcobo would not completely rule out an exit at Naturena and there would be no shortage of interest in his services. It's believed that there would need to be a serious change in the situation before the end of the season for the player to stay at the club beyond the end of this season. "His situation is a tough one and the technical team has been concerned that his game has not improved much, and he can be too casual with his play. I don't know if he will stay," a source told Soccer Laduma.
What are the facts?
Ngcobo's time at Chiefs has not come without any difficulties or controversy. He was signed before the club appointed Baxter as head coach last season and the former Bafana mentor took time to give the then reigning Defender of the Season a debut. There was a lot of excitement when Ngcobo signed from Swallows, rightfully so considering he had won a big individual accolade in 2020/21. Many of the Soweto giants' supporters were expecting to see the player immediately get into the starting line-up, but it seemed Baxter was not too convinced by his ability to play in defence. In his comments, Baxter mentioned that he was unsure of where to play Ngcobo, either in defence or midfield, and seemed reluctant at times to give the player a run. This affected his progress and he has not been able to establish himself as an important player at Chiefs, and his confidence may have even taken a hit. Ngcobo does not have a lot of time on his hands to turn things around before the end of the season and, with little chance of getting game-time this term, the only way of getting his career back on track may be by moving from Chiefs. While the player apologized for the incident against Arrows, things have not been so good since then. Since April 2022, he has made just 10 appearances, nine of which are from this campaign.
The Story Behind The Scenes
Swallows return unlikely
While Ngcobo would jump at the opportunity to get game-time, one of the places he is unlikely to return to is Swallows FC, whose problems have been well-documented in recent times. The Birds gave Ngcobo the perfect platform to properly introduce himself to the South African football fraternity and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, attracting interest from different clubs, before Amakhosi won the race. Moving to Naturena came with a bigger salary package for the 28-year-old and the Birds, who have been in the media at times for being unable to pay their players, may not be able to afford the player. SuperSport United are believed to be looking at the possibility of signing the defender, with Ditlhokwe set to make a move to Chiefs at the end of the season.
Why a loan move would make sense
The situation of Ngcobo is unlikely to change and a man who has previously been in the colours of Chiefs, Mokete Tsotetsi, feels it would make the best sense for the defender to go out on loan to get his career back on track. Ngcobo is clearly not a favourite of Zwane at the moment and chances are that he will spend more time out of the matchday squad than in it, unless there are injuries and suspensions that would open up a path for him to get into the team. To be honest, he has not featured much and when the season ends, the coach will obviously reinforce the team. With him not playing, I don't think he will be in the coach's plans for next season, so it's for him to decide. For him not to be frustrated, maybe he would ask for a loan move so that he can get game-time and improve on his game. If the coach sees his improvement, then maybe they might recall him. If I were him, I'd ask to be loaned out. He still has age on his side," Tsotetsi told the Siya crew. "I know the boy from when he was at Richards Bay FC. I once enquired about him when I was coaching at Maccabi, while we were in the National First Division (now Motsepe Foundation Championship). He did well with Swallows and his first season with Chiefs was not so bad, but this season has not been good. It's becoming more challenging because he has not been getting game-time and we never know how he is responding to the coach and the situation. But I believe he is a quality player who needs a chance and needs to be guided because he is national team material."
What the agent says
According to the player's representative, Ngcobo is willing to fight for his place at Naturena, before even thinking about making a move away from the club. "There is no transfer. He wishes to fight for his place at Kaizer Chiefs and there is no plan to move any time soon," Mpendulo Nyuswa of Knowledge Sports Agency said. "It's something I have only seen on social media, but he is going nowhere. He is happy to stay and that's why we have no instructions (from Chiefs) to look for any transfer because he believes that he will get his opportunity again. He is not frustrated because he is working hard and he is doing extra training. Life is normal, apart from the fact that he is not getting the game-time he desires. But he believes he will get game time."
Secret Agent
The Siya crew spoke to a top agent in SA to get their expert understanding on what's going on. For obvious reasons, the agent will remain anonymous.
The Siya crew spoke to a top agent in SA to get their expert opinion on Ngcobo's situation at Chiefs. For obvious reasons, the agent will remain anonymous. "If I was his representative, I would advise him to stay on and be patient because you never know what will happen. I think before the end of the season, he will get a chance to play and when he gets it, he must do well and perform. If he performs well, there is no way Arthur Zwane will ignore him and then they will keep on playing him, especially if Chiefs are winning. "If his situation does not change, that's when he can go out for a loan. There are a lot of teams that would want him, especially teams from KZN because they love their own players from the province. I think he would fit in well at a club like AmaZulu FC or, if he stays in Gauteng, he would do well at SuperSport (United). He can ask for a loan move and if he does well, then Chiefs will call him back, because the issue with Arthur and Ngcobo is not performance- based. It's because that day (against Arrows last season) he was substituted, and they exchanged words. "From what I know, the situation of Ngcobo might not change. They could keep him on the bench, but I would still advise him to wait a bit to see if things will change. And then if he goes out on loan next season, he should go to a team that's stable and competes. Also, you never know if Arthur Zwane will continue next season, which is why I say he must wait to see how things go, and then he can make a decision."
Watch This Space
Kaizer Chiefs are looking to make more signings for next season to compete with Mamelodi Sundowns and this could spell the end for Ngcobo at the club, with the possibility of moving further down the pecking order, which is the last thing he would want for his career at 28 years of age. The big defender could leave the Soweto giants in an attempt to get his career back on track, unless there is a big turnaround in his situation. At this stage, however, there is unlikely to be a change in his situation if one looks at the fact that even with some questionable performances at times from some of the defensive players this season, he has not been called upon. The Glamour Boys have shipped in 24 goals in 22 league games, one more than 16th-placed Marumo Gallants, which is hardly championship-winning numbers, yet the former Swallows star is completely out of the picture as it stands. It is a situation that should worry him and will have and Ngcobo and his representatives thinking a lot about the future as the current season draws to a close. So, an exit is almost certain to happen!
