Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya tipped for stardom by Arthur Zwane ... if he stays disciplined

AmaZulu striker Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya has all the qualities to be a top marksman in the Betway Premiership as long as he continues to work hard and maintain his discipline.

Ngwenya has been one of the AmaZulu's emerging stars this season, scoring seven goals and registering one assist in 16 matches across all competitions for Usuthu so far.

His goal returns are a result of his ability to take his chances and his use of pace, and tricky feet, which allows him to exploit even the tightest of spaces in the final third.

While coach Arthur Zwane is clearly happy to have the Zimbabwean international, he believes the player could unlock his true potential if he continues to get into the right spaces and create chances to score.

“We don’t want to put him under pressure and only rely on him because the expectations are very high,” said Zwane, who was speaking ahead of his team’s Nedbank Cup last-16 clash against Richards Bay at the Umhlathuze Sport Complex on Friday night (with a 7pm kick-off).

“Yes, he may have scored six goals, but personally, he could have been the league's top goal scorer. He could have easily scored seven more goals in one-versus-one situations.

“As long as the chances keep coming, and he grabs one or two, he’ll grow. He’s only 22 years old. It’s not easy for any foreign player to adapt to the PSL.”

Zwane has weighed in on what has made it slightly difficult for Ngwenya to hit the ground running in the top flight following a spell in the Zimbabwean top flight.

“Obviously, where Ngwenya is now and where he comes from, there’s a huge gap,” Zwane said. “Take nothing away from where he comes from in Zimbabwe, but the intensity here is abnormal.

“If you watched the Golden Arrows and Richards Bay game, and our game against Polokwane City, the intensity here is extraordinary. It’s just a case of adaptation. As much as he has responded positively, he still has a long way to go.”

Granted, Zwane might feel there’s ample room for Ngwenya to improve, but he has urged him to remain humble and not let the hype of playing in the PSL top flight get to his head.

“He’s a very cool guy. He’s very focused and disciplined. That’s one of the things we focus on when we bring in a player: how he is off the field and how he behaves,” Zwane explained.

“We know that if he can manage that, then he can easily excel on the field. He can grasp information and execute the plan.”

The adaptation process for local and foreign-born players in the PSL top flight is clearly different, with Zwane insisting that Luyolo Slatsha has had a smoother start to life at the club compared to Ngwenya due to being a local player.

“If you followed Slatsha from when he was young, you’ll know that he has PSL qualities as an individual,” Zwane said of the Cape Town-born midfielder. “The reason we brought him on board is that we knew he was going to add value. He’s a good addition to the squad."

AmaZulu are in the running for a Top-4 finish in the league and could still win the Nedbank Cup. That’s why a gradual improvement from both Ngwenya and Slatsha could boost their aspirations.

*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch