Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler has confirmed that teenage sensation, Luphumlo ‘Kaka’ Sifumba, is the ideal replacement for now Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Mdantsane.
Sifumba, 18, is one of the emerging youngsters in South African football and currently rated as one of the most promising youngsters on the planet by esteemed United Kingdom publication The Guardian, who published ‘Next Generation 2022: 60 of the Best Young talents in World Football’ last year.
Kaka, as he is affectionately known, made his senior debut during their 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates towards the end of last season, where he showed glimpses of his quality and what he can offer the team in future.
His impressive display left Tinkler in awe and pronounced that the teenager has a bright future ahead of him. With Mdantsane back at his boyhood club in Naturena, Tinkler confirmed Sifumba’s readiness for top-flight football.
“He is now a fully-fledged PSL player, last season he was floating between the youth and us [the first team],” Tinkler told Sunday World during the DStv Premiership launch recently.
“He has been with us since day one of pre-season and I must say that he’s been strong and doing very well.
“But he is still young and still has a lot to learn. This season he will get game time, he will get more game time than what he got last season, because he is no longer an extra, he is part of the squad. When Mdantsane left, we knew the one who will basically replace him is Kaka! And that is just the fact.”
It goes without saying that Sifumba will have big shoes to fill, as Mdantsane was pivotal in City finishing inside the top eight last season and made them tick in the middle of the park.
The Citizens will start their DStv Premiership campaign against newly promoted Polokwane City at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday evening.
Kick-off time is at 5:30pm.
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