My appeal to Dr. Kaizer Motaung
Lunga Adam: Do you think Keagan Dolly has done justice to jersey number 10 since joining Kaizer Chiefs?
Masilo Machaka: Xa abalandeli bedibana nawe
(When the supporters meet you) or bekhuluma ngawe
(talk about you), it must show that uLunga uyalidlala ibhola (can play football). Dolly should be a great passer, a great contributor, he must score goals. When you’re wearing number 10, you are putting pressure on yourself already. Not thina (us) as supporters, no, no – wena you are saying to us, “Guys, I’m given number 10, I wanna produce results week in and week out.” So, the question is: Is Dolly doing that? The answer is no. He’s blowing hot and cold. There are chances that he gets which he should bury. You know, in football, sometimes you assist. This reminds me of back in those days of David Radebe and Collins Mbesuma. How did Mbesuma score those goals? The likes of Radebe were assisting him. So, Dolly, at the moment, he hasn’t reached that level that I can say that jersey number 10 is okay on him. It’s a heavy jersey. My opinion is that he’s putting himself under tremendous pressure by wearing that jersey because you can’t just wear number 10. Even here in South Africa, those who wore number 10, like abo
(the likes of) Jomo (Sono), will tell you that, “When you are wearing number 10, you must show that you are wearing number 10.” Yes, we love Dolly, he does score some beautiful goals, but the contribution… that is why I’m saying you can’t blow hot and cold when you are wearing jersey number 10. You must produce results. Even in recent games, sometimes he loses the ball out of nowhere. He needs to step up and make sure that if Chiefs want to get results, he must try to contribute. I’m not saying that it’s a one-man team, but the jersey that you are wearing is problematic in South Africa. But if you’re saying, “No, no, no, the jersey is problematic but I’m willing to wear it”, wear it, it’s okay! But we’ll judge you based on your performance. How did you contribute to the success of Kaizer Chiefs? Since you joined the team, do we have trophies? Dololo
(Nothing)! I’m saying to Dolly if he wants to change the jersey, it’s not late. But if he doesn’t want to change the number 10 jersey, it’s okay because it’s up to him. But remember, fans will judge you based on performance, not based on what you did before.
LA: Some valid points… MM:
But if you look at it, if he were to change the jersey, who deserve it out of all the players that we have at Chiefs? No one deserves jersey number 10. So, you put that jersey in the cabinet and you wait for the right moment, for the right person and that person must prove himself. We mustn’t take that jersey for granted. It’s not all about the love because remember, as much as we love the players, they come and go. We judge them based on performance. Right now, yes, I’ll support Dolly or maybe (Mduduzi) Shabalala or (Christian) Saile and others… but we are no longer going to say you’re doing well while you are not doing well because we are hurting. People travel long distances to come and support you. So, I’m saying, the cabinet is empty, let them put the number 10 jersey in the cabinet to wait for someone that will produce the results. I told you about number 10 – you assist, you score goals, great passes, great movement, awareness on the field of play and a match winner. Before you receive the ball, already you must know where to put the ball. Ungal’bambi ibhola bese ujika ngalo (Don’t dilly-dally on the ball), no! Know when to make great passes, know when to run with the ball, know when to cool down the play when your opponent is busy attacking you guys. So, I haven’t seen a player at Chiefs that can wear that jersey.
LA: This seems like a cursed jersey number at the club. The one player who really did well wearing it was Stanton Fredericks.
MM: And the time when Fredericks was playing, he was banging in the goals and the trophies were there. I mean, (Siphelele) Ntshangase weardid ing number 10, what he do? You know, sometimes don’t put yourself under pressure because of the likes. A lot of people love likes – I wanna have more likes, I wanna have more tweets, I wanna have more followwhat ers on TikTok. To me, you are doing, you are putting yourself under pressure because we are watching you and analyzing how you’re playnot ing currently. If you’re doing well, it’s going to become problematic for you as well, mentally, because how many people are supporting Chiefs? So, I’m saying even to the youngsters coming up, don’t put yourself under pressure. No, loosen up. Football is all about enjoyment. Enjoy yourself on the field of play irrespective of that number. Leave the number. Play and go overseas maan. Sometimes we’ve got to be true to ourselves. Let me appeal to Dr. Kaizer Motaung and the Chiefs management to put the jerthey sey in the cabinet so that will be waiting for someone that will deserve that jersey. So that Dolly is not under pressure.