Thabo Cele made a big impression in his first few moments at Kaizer Chiefs after a long-awaited debut in the Premier Soccer League, writes Mazola Molefe.

Thabo Cele has received a resounding endorsement from Jabu ‘Shuffle’ Mahlangu, a player who knows all about the burden of wearing the black and gold jersey of the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs.

In an interview with SoccerClub, the ex-Bafana Bafana international said Cele had the right type of mentality to cope with the pressure of playing for AmaKhosi, especially having arrived at a time when they are struggling.

“It’s a great signing. He has brought experience from playing overseas and is still only 28 years old, which means Thabo will probably still be at this level for another five to six more years depending on he how looks after himself. But from what I can observe he seems like a very disciplined player,” explained Mahlangu, now working as a TV analyst.

Chiefs reinforced this during most recent transfer window, jumping at the opportunity to lure Cele to Naturena after the player terminated his contract with his Russian Premier League club Fakel Voronezh in January.

Mahlangu was adamant that this newest recruit would not only bring stability, but ‘leadership’ as well in the Chiefs dressing room.

“What I have liked so far is that, despite joining a team that is not yet stable and conceding a lot of goals, Thabo has brought some steadiness in the middle. A lot of young players at Chiefs have been under pressure since getting promoted. If you look at players like Mdu Shabalala, Wandile Duba and Mfundo Vilakazi, those are young talented players, but they graduated at a time when the team was not doing well,” argued Mahlangu, himself an academy product promoted to the AmaKhosi senior team when he was only 19.

He added that Cele’s impact was almost instant, from struggling for pace on his debut in the Soweto derby to being arguably the best player a few weeks later away to Mamelodi Sundowns in Atteridgeville.

Mahlangu believes the young players are off the spotlight following the arrival of attackers Tashreeq Morris, Glody Lilepo and more so Cele.

“The previous 10 years have been difficult for Chiefs without a trophy. I think Thabo Cele has given them some relief – they seem a lot more relaxed in my opinion around him. He is not a fancy player, that’s what I like about him…getting in those one or two touches and being effective. At times great players don’t need to complicate things. I think Thabo is doing that very well. He hit the ground running, which is what the club needed,” he said.

What then does the KwaMashu born player bring to the table beyond the current campaign, where Mamelodi Sundowns have once again been dominant and left everyone else playing catch up?

“A good example is the match against Mamelodi Sundowns, he had a massive impact and presence. I believe he is a key player right now and will be one in future,” suggests Mahlangu.

“We need to consider that he is also adjusting to the environment and the league because he was a January signing. As a former midfielder he is no doubt a different player to me because I was a wide player and in the 10 role. They made a great decision signing him, but he will need quality around him as well as time goes on.”

Mahlangu insisted that the only other way for Chiefs to make sure Cele thrives in the coming years is to make use of the upcoming transfer window in July.

“They need to understand how he plays because that will make Chiefs stronger and a better team overall. I am very impressed. A lot of his teammates will be able to learn from him. Thabo is just generally an exciting player and with time he can add assists and goals.”

Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has not hidden the fact that the club will need the next two transfer windows at the very least to make a complete overhaul and acquire players with the same influence as Cele for instance.

According to Mahlangu, the midfielder gives everyone else around him the confidence they’ve lacked prior to his signing.

“Thabo also has the type of leadership role that is needed at Chiefs, something he is already doing well. What he has also managed to do is free up the other new signing in Glody Lilepo and Pule Mmodi to give the team options upfront. You need a midfielder that has control and Thabo does that well,” concludes ‘Shuffle’.