Has Glody Lilepo delivered value to Kaizer Chiefs following his big transfer fee? Ask Mazola Molefe.

In their search for a clinical striker, Kaizer Chiefs instead found a wide attacker they simply could not ignore in Glody Lilepo.

The reported transfer fee paid by the Soweto giants was believed to be around R9.6 million – a figure some observers felt was on the high side for a foreign player from the third division of French football at the time.

Nearly two years into his stay at Naturena, the question remains: has Lilepo delivered? The answer is not entirely straightforward.

The DRC international has produced flashes of genuine quality, including several breathtaking goals this season that have reminded supporters exactly why the club invested in him.

Yet, like the team he represents, Lilepo’s performances have at times arrived in bursts rather than in a steady stream, leaving the jury still out on his overall impact.

There is little doubt that when the 28-year-old is at his best, he is capable of influencing matches in spectacular fashion. But consistency has remained the biggest talking point surrounding his contributions.

Lilepo has blown hot and cold in AmaKhosi colours, although his standout displays continue to be something to marvel at when he is fully fit and confident.

Injuries, however, have played their part in disrupting his rhythm.

According to Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze, Lilepo had to overcome an unfamiliar challenge during his time at the club – a spell on the sidelines that halted his early progress.

“I’d say that a player like Lilepo doesn’t need extra motivation,” Kaze explained.

“I would say that he’s had a tough, tough period because he is a player that never had injuries and all of a sudden in a game that we played in the CAF Confederation Cup against Simba SC this happened.”

The injury forced Lilepo out for more than four weeks, an absence that disrupted the momentum he had begun to build.

“He was injured and he was out for more than four weeks,” Kaze added.

“And that takes a toll on someone that has never had any kind of injury. The doubt comes with the injury and soon after that there was the long Christmas break because of Africa Cup of Nations.”

The timing could hardly have been worse, effectively halting what appeared to be a steady rise in form.

But there have been encouraging signs since. Lilepo has responded with important goals for Chiefs in both the Confederation Cup and the Betway Premiership, offering glimpses of the attacking threat the club hoped he would become.

He can hardly be singled out for the team’s difficult moments either.

Following Chiefs’ heavy 3–0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby late in February, sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr was quick to emphasise that the struggles were a collective responsibility rather than the fault of any individual player.

For Kaze, Lilepo’s uneven form has a simple explanation.

“He had almost two months without playing very consistently, which is why when we came back he was a little bit slow to pick up the pace,” the coach said.

“But now I believe that he has picked up the pace.”

If that upward trajectory continues, Lilepo may yet prove that Chiefs’ sizeable investment was money well spent.