Sports / Soccer
Kingston Nkhatha rated better than Adam Ndlovu
07 Jul 2015 at 16:12hrs | Views
KickOff.com's Lovemore Moyo is counting down the top 30 foreign strikers to have played in the PSL, with Kingston Nkhatha coming in at number 23.
Some sections of the Kaizer Chiefs fans are already so addicted to booing Nkhatha that they don't even need a reason to still jeer the Zimbabwean forward. They will probably be booing right now!
However, coaches, teammates and opponents understand, the full value of this bustling forward and how influential he is in getting the team to play. Chiefs can attest to that as they almost froze straight after his departure, failing to score in four of the first five League games that they played after 'King' left for SuperSport United in January.
Neither the most skilful nor the deadliest forward, but the honesty with which he works in contributing towards the success of his team is second to none. His goalscoring numbers in the PSL are not as disastrous as some Chiefs fans would want to believe - 46 goals in 124 starts for Chiefs, Black Leopards, Free State Stars and SuperSport United is positive.
Considering that he offers more than just scoring goals in his game, Nkhatha is the kind of striker that you will have on the team list regularly if you find yourself as a coach as he gives you a package that you will rarely get out of most forwards.
His strike-rate would also increase if the 11 goals that he struck while on loan at Carara Kicks in the First Division are factored in. The 'clever' Chiefs supporters might object as much as they want about Nkhatha's qualities but SuperSport United is neither a dump, retirement village nor mickey mouse club to have brought him on board. He scored on debut at SuperSport and even at Chiefs he struck memorable goals too, like that half-volley on the run against Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Won the Absa Premiership, MTN8 and Nedbank Cup through his 'love-hate' time at Chiefs.
Adam Ndlovu was ranked 26
'Adamski' only arrived in the PSL past the best of his playing days aged 32 at the start of the 2002/03 season but he was still far better than plenty of other strikers to play in the PSL.
Though he looked casual in his approach to the game, he was actually sly, which is why plenty defenders were left sprawling after 'robbing' them. He scored seven in 23 games at Swallows but played such a key role in getting his teammates to play with his ability to hold up the ball and make intelligent runs that he opened up the most compact of defences.
Gavin Hunt has always had a soft spot for those kinds of forwards, which is why he kept him in the team even when he wasn't always providing the goals at Swallows.
Ndlovu then scored another six goals in 20 games at Dynamos the following season. 'Adamski' closed off the chapter of his playing days aged 35 with a stint at Free State Stars where he helped them to promotion in the 2004/05 season, providing a dozen assists and scoring thrice.
Though he also played in Europe including a stint with FC Zurich in Switzerland, he unfortunately spent most of his career in the shadows of his younger brother Peter.
Sadly, he passed away on December 16, 2012 when a car in which he was travelling with his brother Peter burst a tyre and hit a tree near Victoria Falls Airport. He was coaching Zimbabwe PSL club Chicken Inn at the time.
From the many meetings that I had with him, one element stood out about him – he was a fine gentleman. May his soul rest in peace.
George Nechironga was ranked 28
Nechironga was voted Zimbabwe's joint-Soccer Star of the Year with Peter Ndlovu in 1990 before coming to play for Bloemfontein Celtic in the NSL era after a spell in Poland. He was an old-school forward whose play revolved around pace, pace and more pace. Some of his best form was already passed him by the time the PSL started, but the five years that he played in the PSL era proved that he was still useful.
Nechironga scored 25 goals in the first two-and-half-years of his PSL career before moving to Santos, where he scored twice in six games. From there he moved on to Free State Stars and then African Wanderers for the twilight of his career, closing off with 27 goals in the 69 games that he started in the PSL era.
Nechironga eventually moved back to Celtic where he ended his career while the club was playing in the first division. Now 46, he was last involved with the Celtic development structures before leaving last year.
Best Foreign Striker - Vitinho (No. 30)
Best Foreign Striker - Pepe (No. 29)
Best Foreign Striker - Nechironga (No. 28)
Best Foreign Striker - Brockie (No. 27)
Best Foreign Striker - A Ndlovu (No. 26)
Best Foreign Striker - Niang (No. 25)
Best Foreign Striker - Amougou (No. 24)
Some sections of the Kaizer Chiefs fans are already so addicted to booing Nkhatha that they don't even need a reason to still jeer the Zimbabwean forward. They will probably be booing right now!
However, coaches, teammates and opponents understand, the full value of this bustling forward and how influential he is in getting the team to play. Chiefs can attest to that as they almost froze straight after his departure, failing to score in four of the first five League games that they played after 'King' left for SuperSport United in January.
Neither the most skilful nor the deadliest forward, but the honesty with which he works in contributing towards the success of his team is second to none. His goalscoring numbers in the PSL are not as disastrous as some Chiefs fans would want to believe - 46 goals in 124 starts for Chiefs, Black Leopards, Free State Stars and SuperSport United is positive.
Considering that he offers more than just scoring goals in his game, Nkhatha is the kind of striker that you will have on the team list regularly if you find yourself as a coach as he gives you a package that you will rarely get out of most forwards.
His strike-rate would also increase if the 11 goals that he struck while on loan at Carara Kicks in the First Division are factored in. The 'clever' Chiefs supporters might object as much as they want about Nkhatha's qualities but SuperSport United is neither a dump, retirement village nor mickey mouse club to have brought him on board. He scored on debut at SuperSport and even at Chiefs he struck memorable goals too, like that half-volley on the run against Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Won the Absa Premiership, MTN8 and Nedbank Cup through his 'love-hate' time at Chiefs.
Adam Ndlovu was ranked 26
'Adamski' only arrived in the PSL past the best of his playing days aged 32 at the start of the 2002/03 season but he was still far better than plenty of other strikers to play in the PSL.
Though he looked casual in his approach to the game, he was actually sly, which is why plenty defenders were left sprawling after 'robbing' them. He scored seven in 23 games at Swallows but played such a key role in getting his teammates to play with his ability to hold up the ball and make intelligent runs that he opened up the most compact of defences.
Gavin Hunt has always had a soft spot for those kinds of forwards, which is why he kept him in the team even when he wasn't always providing the goals at Swallows.
Ndlovu then scored another six goals in 20 games at Dynamos the following season. 'Adamski' closed off the chapter of his playing days aged 35 with a stint at Free State Stars where he helped them to promotion in the 2004/05 season, providing a dozen assists and scoring thrice.
Though he also played in Europe including a stint with FC Zurich in Switzerland, he unfortunately spent most of his career in the shadows of his younger brother Peter.
Sadly, he passed away on December 16, 2012 when a car in which he was travelling with his brother Peter burst a tyre and hit a tree near Victoria Falls Airport. He was coaching Zimbabwe PSL club Chicken Inn at the time.
From the many meetings that I had with him, one element stood out about him – he was a fine gentleman. May his soul rest in peace.
George Nechironga was ranked 28
Nechironga was voted Zimbabwe's joint-Soccer Star of the Year with Peter Ndlovu in 1990 before coming to play for Bloemfontein Celtic in the NSL era after a spell in Poland. He was an old-school forward whose play revolved around pace, pace and more pace. Some of his best form was already passed him by the time the PSL started, but the five years that he played in the PSL era proved that he was still useful.
Nechironga scored 25 goals in the first two-and-half-years of his PSL career before moving to Santos, where he scored twice in six games. From there he moved on to Free State Stars and then African Wanderers for the twilight of his career, closing off with 27 goals in the 69 games that he started in the PSL era.
Nechironga eventually moved back to Celtic where he ended his career while the club was playing in the first division. Now 46, he was last involved with the Celtic development structures before leaving last year.
Best Foreign Striker - Vitinho (No. 30)
Best Foreign Striker - Pepe (No. 29)
Best Foreign Striker - Nechironga (No. 28)
Best Foreign Striker - Brockie (No. 27)
Best Foreign Striker - A Ndlovu (No. 26)
Best Foreign Striker - Niang (No. 25)
Best Foreign Striker - Amougou (No. 24)
Source - KickOff
