Kambole has sadly wasted his opportunity to impress at Chiefs

Okay, before you think I stocked up on SAB-produced goods on Black Friday and have consumed a bit too much, let me level with you.

When this season started and Chiefs didn’t have their top scorer from last season, the fearsome Samir Nurkovic, around, I felt it was a bad omen for Amakhosi. But it was also a good omen for a player like Lazarous Kambole.

It was an opportunity for him to raise his hand and say, “Hey Gavin, forget Nurkovic, he’s overated anyway, here I am and I am capable.” It was a chance similar in a way to what Zakhele Lepasa had in the absence of Gabadinho Mhango at Orlando Pirates.

But the Zambian has been asleep on the job and has not got any game time to try and claim his spot. In fact, even Leonardo Castro and Khama Billiat have not done much to force Nurkovic to sweat about getting back into the team when he recovers from his setback.

Heck, had these players filled his gap really well, Chiefs might have considered accepting the offer said to have come from Egyptian giants, Al Ahly, for the services of the Serbian striker.

It is now very clear that the day that Nurkovic is cleared to play, he will walk straight back into the starting XI and no one will blame coach Gavin Hunt for picking him. In fact, so poor have Chiefs been in getting the ball into the back of the net that if Hunt picks Nurkovic to start on the bench, he is likely to be sworn at by the frustrated support base.

The one player who was expected to benefit from Nurkovic’s misfortune was Kambole, who had not been given a chance last season, because Nurkovic and Castro had formed an immediate understanding up front.

But the Zambian, who came highly rated, has proved to be a flop, failing to utilise this chance properly.

It can’t be that both former and current coaches are unable to see his potential or don’t know how to play him. It is a missed opportunity for him. And I would not be surprised if he were released before his contract came to an end.

In fact, he is possibly still on the books only because Amakhosi cannot make new signings. He’s really just making up the numbers at this stage. Oh, and before I leave, Mr Kambole, I like my humble pie served hot.