Midfielder Siyethemba Sithebe, who has only appeared twice this season when Chiefs were held to a scoreless draw by Cape Town City, has had an evaluation from interim coach Cavin Johnson.
Amakhosi’s hopes of finishing in the top four were once again dashed as they were held to a scoreless draw by The Citizens on Saturday afternoon at Athlone Stadium.
Johnson gave Sithebe his second start of the year since midfielders Yusuf Maart and Edson Castillo were suspended and could not play. Sithebe’s contract expires at the conclusion of the season, therefore there have been rumors that he may be leaving the team.
During the post-game press conference, Johnson expressed his admiration for Sithebe’s performance but cautioned that the 32-year-old might continue to start ahead of Maart and Castillo due to their absences.
Johnson told reporters, “I don’t know why he has only played one game.”
“I have to give him credit; I believe that he has been waiting to lay since I’ve been here, and he finally got his chance today. A perfect ten. Maybe he will stay there for the next ten games because he performed well today.
“As I have always stated, I will do my best to give everyone a chance to play while I am here; if they do well, it will demonstrate to you why the club originally purchased them.
“Castillo and Maart were not in the team during the previous games. He therefore had an opportunity because they are unavailable, and he performed admirably. He played well, but I’m not sure if Castillo and Maart will ever return.
“So we are going to have to see who the next opponent is.”
Chiefs will have an opportunity to close the gap on their rivals when they visit Stellenbosch at FNB stadium on Tuesday night. Orlando Pirates lost ground to Sekhukhne United 2-1 on Saturday, costing them points. The game starts at 19:30.
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