
Kaizer Chiefs DDC graduate Aden McCarthy has started his senior team campaign on a high note, scooping back-to-back Man of the Match awards, and assistant coach Cedric Kaze says there is more to come.
The 21-year-old left-centre made his debut on the senior team’s starting line-up on Sunday during their opening league match against Stellenbosch FC, and his solid performance at the back ensured that they kept a clean sheet and returned with all three points.
He followed that with another stellar showing against Polokwane City on Wednesday, which earned him his second Man of the Match award in succession. The youngster is proving to be a good replacement for Rushwin Dortley, who is undergoing rehabilitation after picking up an injury last season.
Kaze, who was standing in for head coach Nasreddine Nabi, who has been absent due to family commitments, hailed the youngster, attributing his professionalism and good listening skills as the driving force behind his success.
“He’s a very nice kid, very professional in a way that he conducts himself inside the field and outside,” Kaze said to the media after the game.
“Another thing that I would say about him is he’s a player that listens a lot and he’s always with Zitha [Kwinika] with [Inacio] Miguel and with those kind of players he knows that the experience that they can help him and I’m pretty sure that without injuries, probably he will go far because he’s a player with quality.
Kaze also addressed ongoing opinions that the team is working better in the absence of head coach Nabi.
“Let’s just say that the technical staff is led by coach Nabi, and it doesn’t matter who is on the line. The thing that I will just keep is that Kaizer Chiefs is winning, and that’s the most important thing,” he concluded.
Chiefs will now shift their focus to hosting Richards Bay FC on Tuesday, 19 August, in a bid to continue their winning run.