Ox's Chiefs comeback story

Sibongiseni Mthethwa was signed by Kaizer Chiefs just over two years ago.

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The destructive midfielder was linked in the media to many clubs before Amakhosi eventually sealed his signature by triggering a release clause in the region of R10 million. The player's first year at the Naturenabased club certainly didn't go as planned, and not many would have expected him to hold his current status in the squad. Arguably, "Ox" has become one of the most important players at the club. What does he bring to the cause? How do his stats compare to his fellow midfielders? Is he now irreplaceable for Chiefs? Soccer Laduma investigates.

best performance of this season as Mthethwa won six tackles, seven ground duels and also made 14 passes into the final third. If we look at the tackling leaderboards for this season, only Athini Jodwana (of Durban City) and Tlakusani Mthethwa (of Richards Bay) are making more tackles than "Ox" amongst midfielders. The latter has made 26 tackles at a rate of 2.8 per 90 minutes. Against Durban City, "Ox" was given the Man of the Match award.

In that win, after a slightly slow start on the passing side of things, "Ox" got around the pitch and stopped counterattacks for Gavin Hunt's side. He did give the ball away with 10 of his passes, though, and many will point to that as one area he must keep improving.

How "Ox" compares to Chiefs' other midfielders

If we look at the stats of Chiefs' midfielders, we can see how "Ox" compares to his competition for a place.