Red Card!
Kaizer Chiefs defensive midfielder Willard Katsande was left out of the squad for the club's round of 16 clash with ABC Motsepe League side Magic FC. Fans came out bashing the player, implying that he deserves to be offloaded from Chiefs altogether. But is the narrative fair considering how reliable Katsande has been for Amakhosi?
Chaledi seems to have a negative perception of Katsande's contribution to Chiefs, saying that the Zimbabwean midfielder must be offloaded from the team:
"He [Katsande] is deadwood. He needs to be offloaded. He has cost them [Chiefs] too much."
- Blogger: Chaledi
Is it right to label Katsande as "deadwood" like Chaledi does? The player has made enormous contributions to Amakhosi this season. He has played 17 games and scored three goals in the process.
Soccer Laduma reader Senior Mike seems to believe that George Maluleka makes a more tangible contribution to the team than Katsande does and that the latter commits too many fouls:
"George [Maluleka] played well in that position. This guy [Katsande] commits unnecessary fouls in dangerous positions."
- Blogger: Senior Mike
According to PSL data from STATS.com so far this season:
- Katsande has won 20 tackles, with an average of 1.2 tackles won per game.
- He has made 11 interceptions, with an average of 0.7 interceptions per 90 minutes.
- Katsande has made 38 blocks in total, with an average of 2.4 blocks per 90 minutes.
- He has made 105 clearances, making 6.5 clearances on average so far this season.
However, Senior Mike is right in pointing out that Katsande frequently commits fouls. He has committed 34 fouls in 17 appearances, meaning he makes an average of 2.12 fouls per 90 minutes.
Despite that, it is still clear that Katsande has a role to play defensively for Chiefs. He may be slower, leaving some fans frustrated, but should he be written off? Soccer Laduma reader Bongani Ngwenya thinks not:
"As Chiefs fans, we should try and give a little respect to our players. This guy's worked hard for this club and he is our legend. That's why he wears that armband."
- Blogger: Bongani Ngwenya
How important is Katsande to Chiefs? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
