Cedric Kaze praises 'fearless' Thulani Mabaso after Kaizer Chiefs debut

The DDC captain was handed his first senior appearance as Chiefs secured maximum points, and Kaze said the club had been careful not to rush Mabaso's progression from the youth ranks.

"I think he's a player who has shown us that he can be consistent," Kaze said during his post-match conference.

"I've worked in youth football before, and I believe that sometimes young players are promoted too quickly. With Mabaso, we wanted to be sure."

Kaze revealed that the midfielder impressed during pre-season in the Netherlands before continuing his development with the DDC.

"He went with us to the Netherlands and did very well in pre-season. He then performed well in the DDC, travelled to England and played in the Carling Black Label Cup. You can see that he's a player with character," he added.

According to the Chiefs coach, Mabaso is not overawed by senior players and shows maturity beyond his years.

"He's not scared and doesn't shy away from experienced players. We want players with personality - players who show they deserve to be here, not just after one good game."

Kaze also highlighted Mabaso's attacking instincts as one of his standout qualities.

"He's a player who likes to play forward, not backward. He gives us aggression, gets into good shooting positions and has the quality to take shots. We told him to be himself and enjoy the game."

While pleased with the debut, Kaze stressed that consistency will determine Mabaso's future involvement with the first team.

"The minutes he got should give him confidence, but now the challenge is to be consistent. We don't want a one-night show - we want performances that bring something to the team over time."