Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Kabelo Mahlasela has sacrificed an opportunity to win his maiden Absa Premiership title for game time at relegation-threatened Polokwane City.
Mahlasela joined Amakhosi with huge expectations from Bloemfontein Celtic two seasons ago.
Unfortunately he got injured in his first training session with the Glamour Boys and was out for eight months.
After recovering from the injury, he struggled to command a regular starting berth.
He was then loaned out to City where he is getting back to his best.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave Chiefs considering the fact they were in line to win the league and worse, I was joining a team that is fighting relegation,” Mahlasela said.
“I could have said, ‘No, I don’t want to go’, because I want to win the league. As a footballer, you just want to win league. You don’t just play football for the fun part of it. You want to win trophies.”
Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp preferred Lebogang Manyama, Willard Katsande, George Maluleka and Kearyn Buccas in the middle of the park for the Glamour Boys.
Amakhosi are at the summit of the Premiership table. They are four points clear and on course for the title, but Mahlasela sacrificed that opportunity for game time.
“Joining Polokwane was a new challenge for me,” he said.
“If you believe that you can play football or if you believe in yourself, you must go to Polokwane City and prove yourself. That’s what I told myself when I was to leave Chiefs on loan and join Polokwane City. That’s what encouraged me to go to Polokwane City,” he added.
The Limpopo outfit are involved in the relegation dogfight being third from the bottom of the table.
“I told myself, ‘let me go and showcase my talent’. If things are right and how God planned them, I’ll come back and fight for my place at Chiefs. That’s why I joined Polokwane City. I wanted to see how strong and how good I am,” Mahlasela explained.
Polokwane are three points clear of bottom side Black Leopards. If the league does resume they will face Kaizer Chiefs, SuperSport United, Highlands Park, Bloem Celtic, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits in their last six league games.
“What will make me happy come the end of the season will be to see Polokwane City not getting relegated. I’m here to help Polokwane City survive relegation and I’ll be happy if I can fulfil that goal together with my teammates,” Mahlasela said.
“It will be a great achievement for me to contribute positively towards Polokwane City sustaining their PSL status. The team hasn’t done that bad. It is just that they have drawn too many games.”
Mahlasela would be a proper replacement at Chiefs for George Maluleka, who is on his way to champions Mamelodi Sundowns.