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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs defender Ivan Bukenya said he had experienced
tremendous growth during his first two seasons at the South African
giants.
During the 2013-14 campaign, the Ugandan made just seven league appearances for the Glamour Boys. However, this term there are already indications that he will be more extensively involved and he has attributed that change to the support that he has recieved from the various stakeholders at the club.
"It's all thanks to the support from my team-mates and the technical team. They believed in my ability so I kept working hard even when things weren't in my favour," Bukenya told the Daily Sun.
"Now I'm slowly reaping the rewards but there's still room for improvement," added Bukenya.
Coach Stuart Baxter has received several compliments during his tenure at the helm and there has been particular praise for the manner in which he has managed his players throughout that period. Bukenya also recognises the contribution that Baxter has made to the advancement of his game.
"The coach kept telling me to work hard to make sure that whenever the opportunity comes I grab it with both hands. It was a learning experience for me at Naturena and I hope to use it to benefit the team going forward," added Bukenya, who has already made six appearances for the club during this campaign. Two of those Premiership appearances have been as a starter.
"The technical team has also worked on my tactical aspects of the game, compared to when I first came here last season. In the interim I have learned how the team plays and grew into the way things are at Kaizer Chiefs," added Bukenya.
The one thing which the 23-year-old Bukenya has on his side at this juncture is age, which he does find encouraging.
"I was signed as both a central defender and defensive midfielder. But the coach has made it clear to me that the team has been playing well and winning and it will be difficult for me to break in.
"The coach has since made it clear that I'm a back-up for [Willard] Katsande in the holding midfield role," added Bukenya, who is more than prepared to bide his time.
During the 2013-14 campaign, the Ugandan made just seven league appearances for the Glamour Boys. However, this term there are already indications that he will be more extensively involved and he has attributed that change to the support that he has recieved from the various stakeholders at the club.
"It's all thanks to the support from my team-mates and the technical team. They believed in my ability so I kept working hard even when things weren't in my favour," Bukenya told the Daily Sun.
"Now I'm slowly reaping the rewards but there's still room for improvement," added Bukenya.
Coach Stuart Baxter has received several compliments during his tenure at the helm and there has been particular praise for the manner in which he has managed his players throughout that period. Bukenya also recognises the contribution that Baxter has made to the advancement of his game.
"The coach kept telling me to work hard to make sure that whenever the opportunity comes I grab it with both hands. It was a learning experience for me at Naturena and I hope to use it to benefit the team going forward," added Bukenya, who has already made six appearances for the club during this campaign. Two of those Premiership appearances have been as a starter.
"The technical team has also worked on my tactical aspects of the game, compared to when I first came here last season. In the interim I have learned how the team plays and grew into the way things are at Kaizer Chiefs," added Bukenya.
The one thing which the 23-year-old Bukenya has on his side at this juncture is age, which he does find encouraging.
"I was signed as both a central defender and defensive midfielder. But the coach has made it clear to me that the team has been playing well and winning and it will be difficult for me to break in.
"The coach has since made it clear that I'm a back-up for [Willard] Katsande in the holding midfield role," added Bukenya, who is more than prepared to bide his time.
