What are the facts?

When he arrived at Chiefs, Castro came with a pedigree of scoring goals and winning trophies, but so far, he has failed to live up to expectations. In two-and-a-half seasons with Sundowns, the player won the 2015/16 league title, Telkom Knockout in 2015, CAF Champions League in 2016, as well as the 2017 CAF Super Cup.

In his first five months with the Glamour Boys, the lanky striker scored only two goals and provided one assist in the league, from his 11 appearances.

The improvement was evident the next season, as he made 21 appearances and scored four goals while he also provided five assists, although his campaign was disrupted by an ankle injury.

In 2019/20, which was the last season of his original deal, Castro scored seven goals from 18 appearances, but was forced to watch the remaining four league games from the sidelines due to a hamstring injury. He also had one assist to his name.

Last season, he scored six goals from 26 appearances, although things have gone from bad to worse for the Colombian in the current campaign with only five appearances and no goals so far to his name, which is in contrast with what he said about wanting to achieve and win trophies with Amakhosi after he had his contract extended by the club in 2020. In confirming his new deal on 22 May 2020, Castro excitedly stated on the club’s official website, “Thank you so much. I am very happy with the Chairman Kaizer Motaung and the club. I am also grateful to continue to wear the Gold and Black. This is sensitive for me because I have not won a trophy yet with the team. And to leave without a gold medal would be a defeat for me.”

Against Orlando Pirates, in the recent Soweto Derby, Castro’s injury troubles were evident as he came on as a second half substitute for Lebogang Manyama, only to be substituted again due to injury.

Prior to coming back against Pirates, he had only played 187 minutes of football from his four appearances in the league, and only lasted 18 minutes on the field in the derby.

What also needs to be taken into account is Kaizer Motaung Jnr’s approach. The sporting director recently indicated that the club does want to reduce the average age of the squad.

Speaking to the media recently at the launch of Chiefs’ Toyota sleeve partnership, the sporting director said, in part, “I think it’s key for everyone to understand, and something the club is always going to say, that youth is part of our main strategy. We have to reduce the average age of the team. And it’s not just us… If you look at world football and how you can bring the right change, most clubs have had a great balance in youth, and you have to start somewhere. Most of the players and legends who have donned our jersey, who have made us who we are today, started as teenagers, whether it’s Doctor (Khumalo), whether it’s our own chairperson (Kaizer Motaung), who was 16, whether it’s Thabo Mooki. It’s part of our culture and vision, it’s who we are, and we can’t deviate from that.”

At the age of 32 and with the South American’s unimpressive statistics, Motaung Jnr’s approach will count against Castro.