Why 'Yeye' says Chiefs youngsters face unfair comparisons

Mduduzi Shabalala and Mfundo Vilakazi. Photo credit: Kaizer Chiefs

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfield maestro Reneilwe Letsholonyane believes it’s unfair to compare young players at his former club with those at Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.

The Amakhosi legend believes that the differing levels of pressure at each club create an uneven playing field for developing talent.

While youngsters like Relebohile Mofokeng at Pirates and emerging stars at Mamelodi Sundowns have shone brightly this season – excelling in the domestic league and making deep runs in CAF Champions League competitions – Letsholonyane feels the environment at Chiefs offers far less room for error.

Speaking to iDiski Times, the South Africa Under-17 assistant coach highlighted the unique pressures faced by Chiefs' young guns.

"Let's also keep in mind that the likes of Mofokeng, their team where it's at, they don't really have the pressure that the likes of Mdu [Mduduzi Shabalala] have in terms of results, team performance, and position in the league," Letsholonyane explained. "So the pressure is not really the same for all these players."

He elaborated on the more forgiving atmosphere at rival clubs: "It’s much easier when you say Pirates’ young players and Sundowns’ young players go and play when you know that the team is six or nine points at the top of the league and competing in CAF competitions. So you are playing under less stress and enjoy that little leverage that you are allowed to make mistakes, and you can still come back and recover."

At Chiefs, however, the stakes are significantly higher. "At Chiefs, yes, they are trying very hard to handle the pressure that they have, and you must know that any pressure or any mistake that they make ends up not giving the team results, and that could play negatively in their minds," he noted.

While acknowledging the general principle of comparing like with like, Letsholonyane firmly believes the current circumstances at the clubs negate fair comparisons.

"As much as yes, we should compare apples and apples, I’m saying at this point in time, the level of stress is not the same. That’s me trying to defend them at least," he concluded with a chuckle.