The Star Late Edition

EKSTEIN GETTING A STEVE JUMP START

After idling for a while, Chiefs midfielder is slowly building up a head of steam following some tweaking by Komphela

- NJABULO NGIDI

FOR A club with a rich history of producing some of the best playmakers in the country, from the late Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengo­e through Doctor Khumalo to Thabo Mooki, having to depend on Hendrick Ekstein to carry on that legacy is like moving from a Ferrari to a station wagon.

There were moments when Ekstein didn’t even get Kaizer Chiefs from A-to-B, the lad breaking down due to the burden of expectatio­n.

When he does get them moving, he doesn’t have the same class as his predecesso­rs. Chiefs coach Steve Komphela, who is renowned for refining rough diamonds, has been painstakin­gly polishing Ekstein.

After a slow start, the 25-year-old is warming up to the part, which saw him play an influentia­l role in the wins over Highlands Park and Maritzburg United.

Those performanc­es further improved his popularity at Amakhosi where his skills have made him a fan favourite.

“The response the fans give me when I have the ball makes me happy because it shows that they love me,” Ekstein said.

“Since they love me, I must deliver. I haven’t done much to be honest with you. I need to work even harder. I want to create and score goals. I think that this is going to be my season. It helps that the coach believes in me.”

Komphela is pushing him to express himself, backing him even when it didn’t look like Ekstein could fit in at Chiefs.

“I told him to unleash the devil,” Komphela said. “We have been giving him positive re-enforcemen­ts, just to make it a point that he gives what is required.”

While Chiefs will be searching for a third successive win when they visit Free State Stars tonight at James Motlasi Stadium in Orkney, Ekstein will be looking to continue with the good start he has had to this season.

That trip will also serve as a reminder of what Komphela can do with Ekstein when he takes on an Ea Lla Koto coached by Themba Sithole in the interim.

When Sithole and Komphela worked together in Bethlehem, Sithole found the raw talent and Komphela nurtured it. Komphela needs to do that and more so with Ekstein who has potential.

But he needs to be carved into a finished product quickly because at 25 he should be more than potential.

“For me age doesn’t matter that much,” Ekstein said. “Yeye (Reneilwe Letsholony­ane) arrived here when he was 26 and he became an influentia­l figure.”

The difference between Letsholony­ane and Ekstein is that Yeye might have arrived at Chiefs at 26, but he had his talent refined at Jomo Cosmos and PJ Stars before that, even though he turned profession­al late at 22.

Ekstein wasn’t so lucky. There isn’t much scouting taking place in the mining town of Bekkersdal, south of Randfontei­n, where he comes from.

He played for a mining club there before he worked for them briefly. He was discov- ered in a friendly that Chiefs’ developmen­t side, coached by Donald ‘Ace’ Khuse, played with his club in 2013 when he was 22.

Now he has to not only fasttrack his learning but to deliver too.

“I think that my game is improving because of the regu- lar game time that I am getting, even though I lose a lot of balls,” Ekstein said.

“I need to improve on that because as a midfielder, I have to drive the team forward. I want to contribute to this team so that when I am retired I can say that I did this and that to help the team win.”

 ?? PICTURE: BACKPAGEPI­X ?? WELL OILED: Kaizer Chiefs’ Hendrick Ekstein, by his own admission, has still much to learn if he wishes to develop into a legend at Amakhosi. The midfielder will continue to work on his transforma­tion tonight when his side face Free State Stars.
PICTURE: BACKPAGEPI­X WELL OILED: Kaizer Chiefs’ Hendrick Ekstein, by his own admission, has still much to learn if he wishes to develop into a legend at Amakhosi. The midfielder will continue to work on his transforma­tion tonight when his side face Free State Stars.

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