THABANG REGOENG
Mpho Kgaswanes performances have dropped to such comparative low levels, having played as big a part as any in the clubs modern-day success notably in last seasons Mascom Top 8 triumph for the Reds.
A bit-part player in this beMOBILE Premiership campaign with a handful of substitute appearances owing to injuries, Kgaswane has failed to find last seasons top form which lured various top clubs from the Absa Premiership .
The former Santos starlet is an elite winger at his best, capable of bursts of five matches in which he will score or assist per game. On the other hand, he is liable to produce a shocking performances or embark a rotten run of form
A January transfer window move for Mandla Mgadla to Extension Gunners looked to have opened the door for the 22 year old to reignite his career but new coach Rodolfo Zapata seems not impressed opting to use development graduates such as Obonye Maome and Karabo Phiri.
This is a player who last season set himself and the whole United squad increasingly high standards as they finished fourth in the league and won the Mascom Top 8, helping to shape the Rahman Gumbo era that perhaps Zapata will find hard to match. Injuries however, have put the winger out of action for majority of the first round, but he has taken giant steps towards claiming his spot in the first eleven.
Uniteds vast cash reserves are likely to be spill over again with Zapatas arrival at the end of the season,but it remains to be seen if the man dubbed Phoster will be part of the Argentines plans.There was a brief spate of praise in second round games against Gunners and Chiefs respectively,showing off class to some of Moyagolele fans who had written him off.
The Buinos Aires born coach work permits were finally cleared last week as he sat in the dugout in the 1-0 loss to BDF XI in a game which Kgaswane was not in the match day squad.With the Premiership approaching an end,the former Mpumalanga Black Aces coach is expected to experiment and rotate his squad with fringe players set to be given a chance.
Gazette Sport caught up with Uniteds development coach George Mogopodi who admitted that Kgaswanes performances have declined compared to last season. The problem with local players is lack of consistency because once they get praises and recognition they tend to relax which hampers their progress. I have worked with Kgaswane before and I must say this season he has been below par I dont know why but clearly the boy is not performing to his standard,Mogopodi said.
For a player that perhaps has not received the recognition he deserves away from Reds faithful,Mogopodi pointed that he is confident of Kgaswane reinnasance next season. Kgaswane still has quite a number of years under his belt and GU so I am confident he will get over his barren spell and establish himself in the first team.There are very few players locally that can match his talent when he is at his peak,he packs tremendous strike on the ball with both feet, something any coach would want at their disposal.
Mogopodi further called on Premiership teams to give young players a chance to prove their worth in getting game time.
I am quite worried with the trend of local teams as they are more concerned with getting results by using experienced players and some foreign players. Locally when players are 18-19 years they are considered inexperienced and young but worldwide you find young players the same age getting thrown in big games so that they get ample experience,he concluded.