Posted in News, Team News on Nov 01, 2018.
Yaseen Bunting came in ten minutes into the second half during Saturday’s MultiChoice Disk Challenge (MDC) game against Chippa United on Saturday. It was the 19-year-old’s debut for Kaizer Chiefs’ Reserve side and he scored a hat-trick.
“I was really nervous when coming on,” recalls Bunting, who has played this season for Chiefs’ Under-19s team. “But coach Arthur Zwane told me straight, ‘Don’t be nervous’.”
“I was honoured to score all those goals,” the young striker reflects. Yaseen is the younger brother of Yusuf Bunting, who played for the Reserves the last few seasons and is now on loan at Highlands Park.
After arriving home, Yusuf told Yaseen straight: “I told you that you can score goals. I am proud of you.”
Amazingly, Yaseen’s hat-trick against Chippa was his third in a row. “I scored ha-ttricks in both previous two matches for the Under-19s,” he says.
It’s the youngster’s motto to make his family proud. “They did so much for me,” he explains, “I already joined Kaizer Chiefs Youth Development Academy at the age of 12. My parents still live in Potchefstroom, but I had to move out of the house to stay with my granny in Lenasia.”
Bunting’s role model is Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only because he’s a formidable player, but also because he works so hard on improving his game. “I also try to put in extra work to become a better player,” he points out.
Chiefs actually beat Chippa 10-0 and another who got a hat-trick was Given Thibedi. The youngster not only scored three goals, he also provided three assists.
Thibedi enjoyed an excellent MultiChoice Diski Challenge season last year, even being nominated to be crowned best player, although the 21-year-old eventually didn’t win.
That’s when he was playing as a defensive midfielder. Reserve side coach Zwane, however, decided to move Thibedi in recent weeks a bit more forward, positioning him as a striker.
“We want to develop players in such a way that they are able to play in any position when needed,” the coach explains. “Given is a technically highly skilled player, who can play at wing-back, central midfield and even up-front.”
The game against Chippa was Thibedi’s third playing as a forward. He already scored once and provided an assist in the previous MDC match against Free State Stars.
Thibedi is not a player who likes to focus too much on himself. “It’s important that we will do well as a team, as we want to win the MDC this season.”
The Chiefs Reserves had a bit of a slow start to the season and are now in ninth spot on the MDC log with nine points from six games, but they seem to have hit the right form at the right time.
When asked how he celebrated his hat-trick and three assists against Chippa, Thibedi reacts: “I went home. I stay in Soweto with my granny, my uncle and my sister and watched the Soweto Derby. I am not a guy who really goes out. I concentrate on my soccer, because that’s important.”
“I was really nervous when coming on,” recalls Bunting, who has played this season for Chiefs’ Under-19s team. “But coach Arthur Zwane told me straight, ‘Don’t be nervous’.”
“I was honoured to score all those goals,” the young striker reflects. Yaseen is the younger brother of Yusuf Bunting, who played for the Reserves the last few seasons and is now on loan at Highlands Park.
After arriving home, Yusuf told Yaseen straight: “I told you that you can score goals. I am proud of you.”
Amazingly, Yaseen’s hat-trick against Chippa was his third in a row. “I scored ha-ttricks in both previous two matches for the Under-19s,” he says.
It’s the youngster’s motto to make his family proud. “They did so much for me,” he explains, “I already joined Kaizer Chiefs Youth Development Academy at the age of 12. My parents still live in Potchefstroom, but I had to move out of the house to stay with my granny in Lenasia.”
Bunting’s role model is Cristiano Ronaldo. Not only because he’s a formidable player, but also because he works so hard on improving his game. “I also try to put in extra work to become a better player,” he points out.
Chiefs actually beat Chippa 10-0 and another who got a hat-trick was Given Thibedi. The youngster not only scored three goals, he also provided three assists.
Thibedi enjoyed an excellent MultiChoice Diski Challenge season last year, even being nominated to be crowned best player, although the 21-year-old eventually didn’t win.
That’s when he was playing as a defensive midfielder. Reserve side coach Zwane, however, decided to move Thibedi in recent weeks a bit more forward, positioning him as a striker.
“We want to develop players in such a way that they are able to play in any position when needed,” the coach explains. “Given is a technically highly skilled player, who can play at wing-back, central midfield and even up-front.”
The game against Chippa was Thibedi’s third playing as a forward. He already scored once and provided an assist in the previous MDC match against Free State Stars.
Thibedi is not a player who likes to focus too much on himself. “It’s important that we will do well as a team, as we want to win the MDC this season.”
The Chiefs Reserves had a bit of a slow start to the season and are now in ninth spot on the MDC log with nine points from six games, but they seem to have hit the right form at the right time.
When asked how he celebrated his hat-trick and three assists against Chippa, Thibedi reacts: “I went home. I stay in Soweto with my granny, my uncle and my sister and watched the Soweto Derby. I am not a guy who really goes out. I concentrate on my soccer, because that’s important.”
