Kaizer Chiefs Chairman Kaizer Motaung Snr has revealed what he attributes the success of their development products.
Chiefs have successfully blended a number of their development products to the senior team in becoming regulars, over the last few years. The culmination of Chiefs starting to reap the rewards of giving youngsters an opportunity in the first team has become the transfer of former midfielder Njabulo Blom to Major League Soccer side St. Louis City SC.
Blom was promoted to the senior team at the same time as the likes of Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, who is also starting to break into head coach Arthur Zwane's starting line-up.
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In addition, Amakhosi's development teams have been winning trophies lately in all age groups, including the DStv Diski Challenge and Motaung Snr says he is encouraged by the current state of their youth programs.
"Our development teams have done very well. They all won trophies, which tells you a story of what is happening in our development structures next door (at the Kaizer Chiefs Academy)," Motaung said via the club's website in his festive message.
"I am very happy with what is happening there. We may not be able to see the fruits of our development immediately, but we are on the right track."
The club founder, who has been conferred with an honorary doctorate by the University of Cape Town, believes the FIFA transfer ban in 2020 was a blessing in disguise, as they were forced to play youngsters in the senior team, who grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
"We must remember that the team is where it is today, perhaps due to the FIFA ban not enabling us to sign players," he said.
"We were forced to look inside and we promoted some good youngsters. In this new season we will see more of that happening, while we are also looking at the transfer market to deal with our immediate challenges," he went on.
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"I think they are going to see the fruits of our development very soon, in terms of the youngsters who have come into the first team, and I do hope our supporters will give these youngsters a chance to get their find their feet.
"We gear ourselves to look for a better season than last season. Ultimately, our goal is to get to the top and stay there, where we belong," he added.
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