Nick Said, Special to ESPN 7y

Siphiwe Tshabalala form a delight, but long-term concern for Chiefs

Twelve months ago, Siphiwe Tshabalala looked set for the scrap-heap at Kaizer Chiefs, with his playmaking role having been handed to Pule Ekstein to seemingly signal the end of his glittering career with the AmaKhosi.

But one year on, he remains perhaps more valuable than ever to a Chiefs side battling to rise out of mediocrity, with his influential performances bringing both goals and assists.

And he will again be the main man when Chiefs travel to Maritzburg United in the league on Wednesday night, hoping to keep up their recent mini-revival that has seen them take four points from the last six.

It is easy to take the plaudits when a team is winning, but less so when the going gets tough and those of lesser quality in the squad are looking to a seasoned veteran to lead by example. That is what 'Shabba' has done both in the second half of last season and the first few months of this one, reigniting the dying embers of his career and turning it once more into a raging inferno.

The 32-year-old ended up with the Chiefs' Player of the Season award in the last campaign and has again been their most influential performer this term. Some of the pace of years gone by -- like that which saw him sprint away to score the opening goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Mexico -- has gone, but it has been replaced by guile and intelligence that can only come with experience.

By contrast, his proposed successor at Naturena, Ekstein, forever termed a 'youngster' despite the fact that he is now 26, has never lived up to his billing. There is no doubt he has skill and shows flashes of brilliance, but he fades in and out of matches and still -- after four seasons in the top-flight -- makes too many errors and lacks the decision-making ability to be a player to pull the strings at a giant like Chiefs.

As delighted as he will be with Tshabalala's form, Chiefs coach Steve Komphela and the club's management will be concerned that nobody has risen up as a successor to the veteran midfielder. To be so utterly reliant on a 32-year-old is not sustainable and without him it is possible Chiefs may have struggled to make the top eight last season, and may be without a victory in this campaign too.

Komphela described him as "unbelievable" and a "great servant of the game, a great servant of us, and a great role model" last season, and that is most certainly true. And then he added a telling remark: "Let's just pray that he stays healthy, he stays fit."

That remark was made in May, but is as true today as it ever has been. Chiefs' over-reliance on Tshabalala is a symptom of their failure in the transfer market, where they have been found badly wanting in recent years and had to watch as the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits and even SuperSport United outmanoeuvre them in an area they were once undisputed kings.

Tshabalala is a true Chiefs legend and fans should enjoy him while he is still able to deliver match-winning performances. But they should worry too that there is no natural successor and, as such, could also shorten his career by piling on too many matches.

That is the fine balancing that Komphela must play with his prized outfield possession.

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