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Cape Town - Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Tefu Mashamaite believes there is no-one better to take over the armband than Siphiwe Tshabalala.
Mashamaite ended his association with the Glamour Boys in August following the expiration of his contract, with his departure leaving a huge hole in the defence, as well as the team rudderless on the pitch.
However, a committee made up of seven Chiefs players worked quickly to name Tshabalala as their new skipper, and Mashamaite is confident the midfielder has all the qualities to make the most of the responsibility.
"Leadership is more about following than leading most of the time," the 2014/15 PSL Player of the Season told KickOff ahead of Saturday's MTN8 final, where Chiefs will square off against Ajax Cape Town in Port Elizabeth.
"It comes as a surprise that he said he learned from me, among others, because I thought it was the other way round.
"I learned a lot from those guys, especially those who played for Bafana Bafana like Shabba himself, and also 'Yeye' [Reneilwe Letsholonyane], Tsepo Masilela and Morgan Gould. I was looking for advice from them more than I was offering.
"It is also good for Shabba that he still has those players around him. But most importantly, Shabba loves football and I think he's going to lead Chiefs to greater things.
"As a leader, you really have to watch your step in whatever you do. Being disciplined helps a lot and I think Shabba is a very disciplined individual. I think he is perfect for this job."
