‘I respect Ntshangase like any other Chiefs player’, says Middendorp
Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp finally gave fan favourite Siphelele Ntshangase a run in Sunday’s 1-1 Absa Premiership draw with Stellenbosch FC.
Siphelele Ntshangase of Kaizer Chiefs takes a shot at goal while challenged by Sibusiso Mthethwa of Stellenbosch FC during the Absa Premiership 2019/20 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Stellenbosch FC at the Orlando Stadium. (Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix)
After the game, the German mentor revealed that he was satisfied with the midfielder’s performance.
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It was Ntshangase’s first game under the German mentor and he was taken out at half time with the side trailing 1-0.
“He is a player who is in a bubble with Kaizer Chiefs and he deserves respect. And despite some of you not believing it, every second working with him, he gets my respect. I know there is belief that I don’t like this one or that one,” said Middendorp after the game.
He said he brought Ntshangase on as a playmaker in the absence of Lebogang Manyama, who was nursing an injury.
“We tried to have a ball player especially because some players were not available. But he had not played for a long time and I was not unhappy with him.
“He is a ball receiver and player in the same level as where we had (Khama) Billiat and (Willard) Katsande. We were 1-0 down and we had to have somebody who plays higher up, closer to the forwards and that was the reason for it (his substitution).
“We had to bring Dumisani Zuma into a more attacking line. Siphelele is a player who is a ball-receiver with passing out of the deeper positions. And considering that he has not played in a long time it was definitely an acceptable performance from him,” added the 61-year-old mentor.
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