The 2014/15 PSL Footballer of the Season described the new Amakhosi signing as a solid defender, who will improve the Soweto giants’ defence
Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite says the club’s new signing Austin Dube is in the mould of Orlando Pirates star Innocent Maela.
The lanky defender, who can operate as a centre back and left-back, was snapped up by Amakhosi from National First Division side Richards Bays in the current transfer window.
Mashamaite, who captained Chiefs to the 2014/15 PSL title, believes the Soweto giants will benefit from having a left-footed centre back like Dube, aged 28.
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“Left-footed centre-backs are a bit rare in the country and I have been following his game at Richards Bay and he is in that mould of Innocent Maela. He can play left-back and left-centre back as well,” Mashamaite told Sowetan.
“Very solid. I don’t know how tall he is but he looks very tall and I think at some point he will play centre-back. I think it is a good signing in terms of rebuilding the team now. They brought a bit of fresh blood mixed with experience within either the NFD or Premiership.
“They linked that up with the guys from development structures. It will create a long-lasting type of situation where they are building. It is more like building for the future and if they can get that right, they will be hard to beat in the coming years.”
Maela, who is a Bafana Bafana international, is one of the top left-backs in the PSL, but he has been used as a centre-back by Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer.
Having played for the now-defunct, Bidvest Wits, SuperSport United, and Chiefs as a left-footed centre back, Mashamaite feels that more needs to be done to unearth gifted left-footed central defenders.
“I don’t know what to say about the cause of it… It is a fact that left-footed centre-backs are scarce,” the former Bafana Bafana international continued.
“I was watching the Euros and I think it was Spain who were playing with two left-footed centre-backs and that was interesting. But in a country like SA, we struggle with that. Maybe if we can work on better scouting, we will see better results.”
Chiefs have also signed Njabulo Ngcobo from Swallows having been one of the most outstanding defenders in the PSL last season and he was named the league’s Defender of the Season.
“We always going to measure Chiefs by how many goals they concede. At the end of the day the club has always produced good goalkeepers and good defenders,” Mashamaite concluded.