Yusuf Maart at the Kaizer Chiefs Village Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart said the team were happy for NJabulo Blom, who recently left the team to sign for St Louis City SC in the Major Soccer League in the US.
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Blom was just establishing a solid combination with Maart in the centre of the Amakhosi midfield when he got the chance to go and ply his trade overseas.
The Dobsonville-born midfielder joined St Louis earlier this month after a protracted contract extension talks with Chiefs.
Blom has obviously left a big gap in the midfield with the team losing in all three games they have played this year.
“We are happy for Blom where he is today,” said the Amakhosi midfielder when asked if he feels the void.
In the absence of senior players like Phathutshedzo Nange and Alexander Cole through injury, Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has given the responsibility of filling Blom’s place to another youngster – Samkelo Zwane.
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While Samkelo has shown that he will grow into a top midfielder, his lack of experience has seen him failing to form a partnership with Maart.
Former Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral recently said the duo are not complementing each other but rather shadowing each other.
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“The technical team and us as players, we are all happy for him. But at the end of the day, we need to move on with the plan because Samkelo is there and we are helping him,” added Maart.
“We have just been unlucky because as you may have seen we are getting chances – about five or six per game.
“But the ball just does not want to get into the net,” explained Maart. He also revealed that he is willing to fight for the team in any position he is assigned to.
“Since my arrival, I give the best whenever called upon and wherever I can. The coach deploys me as a No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10. I am willing to play anywhere to help the team.”
The three recent results have seen Chiefs fall further behind runaway DStv Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
Maart says they will rather focus on their own journey than to look at Sundowns and says there is not much they can do to stop them now.
“At the end of the day it is football. You cannot take away what they have because they have been winning. And we have also been trying.
“At the beginning of the season we were unlucky in terms of scoring. So, we just need to work on it as a team.
“If they run away with the league, then they run away with it – there is nothing we can do about it.”
Chiefs will, meanwhile, look to change their fortunes around when they meet Royal AM at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday.