Chiefs midfielder slammed: You can’t have potential forever!
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Kaizer Chiefs duo Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Mduduzi Shabalala. Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
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Chiefs midfielder slammed: You can’t have potential forever!
Sep 22, 2026 – 10:10 am
By KO Staff Reporter
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Nkosingiphile Ngcobo has found himself under intense scrutiny after former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana questioned his progress at Amakhosi.
The Bafana Bafana legend noted that “potential cannot last forever” and expressed concern over the player’s lack of consistency.
This public critique coincides with mounting reports that the 26-year-old is on the verge of exiting Amakhosi as he actively seeks a fresh start to revive his career.
The Pietermaritzburg-born playmaker initially rose through the esteemed Kaizer Chiefs youth academy before making his senior team debut in 2019.
Despite showcasing flashes of brilliance during his seven years at Naturena, he has struggled to fully realise his high potential.
Injuries and inconsistent form have limited his impact, resulting in a modest return of eight league goals since his promotion, including an underwhelming record of just 44 matches played across the last four seasons according to Transfermarkt.
“I think we can all agree that in football you can’t have potential forever,” Kekana said on SoccerZone.
“You must reach a state where you are a player that a team can rely on.
“He has huge potential, this boy – we know that he is one of the best players that we have in terms of creating moments. He knows show to pick a pass. He scores goals, he’s got good technique in him.
“But he has never hit the ground running at Chiefs, simply because he did not work so hard in terms of work rate – I think that’s the only thing that needs to happen (change) with him because if you are a player with that ability, you must make sure that you are playing (regularly) every season.
“He is 26 now. In the last four years, he has played 55 matches, so he’s been playing [approximately per season] 13 matches, 13 matches in the last four years. That’s not good enough for a player of that calibre.”
Should he stay at Chiefs, Ngcobo’s path back to the starting line-up is further complicated by severe squad depth and a fierce battle for minutes.
He faces uphill competition for playing time from high-profile teammates like Lebohang Maboe and Mduduzi Shabalala, forcing him down the pecking order.
Consequently, the midfielder has made just two competitive appearances this season, featuring for only 12 minutes in the Betway Premiership opener against Kruger United, alongside a brief appearance in the MTN8 competition.