Kaizer Chiefs legend calls out South African footballers for poor technical skills

Kaizer Chiefs icon Lucky Stylianou has launched a scathing attack on South African footballers for what he perceives as poor technical abilities.

Stylianou, who became the first white player to don the famous black and gold Chiefs jersey during the height of Apartheid back in 1978, was particularly not happy with the club’s struggles in front of goal in last weekend’s Nedbank Cup semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns, a game that Chiefs won to book a final date with Soweto rivals and two-time reigning cup champions Orlando Pirates.

“Kaizer Chiefs had chances against Sundowns but missed most of them. Out of 19 shots, none were really on target,” Stylianou said, according to Soccer Laduma.

“This isn’t just a Chiefs problem – it’s something I see in many South African footballers. They get into scoring positions but lack the technique and composure to finish properly. It’s a basic skill that seems to be missing, even at the highest level.”

Stylianou went on to add he didn’t think it was just a South African football problem, but one that plagued the game around the world.

“There are too many players – worldwide even – who are not comfortable on the ball. They give it away too easily, and that often leads to conceding goals. That’s a major red flag at this level.”

He continued: “It’s not enough to dominate the midfield or defend well – you have to be ruthless up front. What I saw on Sunday was Sundowns with only one real shot on target outside of that free kick. Chiefs had the chances, but they weren’t making the keeper work. Strikers need to do more than just ‘have a go’ – they need to finish.”

Throughout the season, Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi has bemoaned the fact that his team did not take all of their chances. One game that comes to mind is the club’s clash against Royal AM towards the back end of last year.

Chiefs created more chances than the opposition as they dominated everywhere on the pitch. However, they were only able to earn a point from the game as they were unable to put the ball in the back of the net.

“It’s true that as well as the opportunities we got were through our pressing, timing, it’s what we worked on to prepare for this opponent, I’m tired of repeating myself on the chances we missing,” Nabi was quoted on SuperSport after a recent match.