Aspiring Glamour Boy, Kabelo Nkgwesa believes he has benefited immensely from his time on the Club’s pre-season camp in Spain and is looking to use the experience to help him break into the senior picture, having performed with distinction for the reserves in the DStv Diski Challenge.

The 19-year-old left fullback tells www.kaizerchiefs.com, “Our preparation is going very well. We can see what the coaches want from us and we are all working very hard to adapt to their ideas. There is a great fighting spirit within the squad and everyone is aiming to be ready for the battles ahead when the season starts.”

Nkgwesa was given a run-out in Chiefs’ first friendly match of the tour, a 1-1 draw against Scottish giants, Rangers, which afforded him first-hand insight into the standards demanded at the top level of professional football.

“I got to play 20 minutes in the first match and I got a sense of the difference in how they play compared to us, especially their physicality and endurance, which allowed them to finish stronger, so it is important that we earmark that as an area where we can improve,” he admitted, adding, “Also, it’s good to learn about game management, when to pass, the weight of the pass. Those seemingly small things can make a big difference in a match situation.”

Nkgwesa is determined to take the next step in his fledgling career and is hoping to be introduced into the senior setup in the near future.

“This is my second pre-season with the first-team squad, and I am very happy and grateful to be here,” he says, before offering some motivational advice to any youth player wanting to make it in the game, “I would say to any ambitious youngster coming through the development academy that if they just keep working hard, stay dedicated and show character by stepping up every time when it matters, it is possible to get to here. You can be an individual sometimes but always be a team player.”

As the group commence their return to South Africa, Nkgwesa concludes with an affectionate message to the Amakhosi Faithful: “I want to thank our fans for their support. We know you are not here right now but we can feel your love from home. We are very excited to come back and show the what we have been working on in Spain.”

That could come as early as this Sunday, when Chiefs face Scottland FC from Zimbabwe in Rustenburg for the Toyota Cup.