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Mokoena: Shabba is Stars' pin-up boy

Cape Town - Free State Stars general manager Rantsi Mokoena believes that Kaizer Chiefs star Siphiwe Tshabalala is the best player to come out of the club's youth development system.

Stars have become known to take a gamble on young players which other Premiership sides have turned away.

Mokoena told KickOff: "Thabo Matlaba (now with Orlando Pirates) arrived with horrible boots and didn't look anything like a player.

"When Daniel Cardoso (now at Chiefs) came he told us it was his last effort to try and become a pro."

He added that Tshabalala was Ea Lla Koto's greatest success story, saying: "I pick Shabba just because of what he has gone on to achieve in his career: playing for Bafana Bafana at World Cup and scoring that goal at the start of the tournament.

"He has had a stand-up career, filled with trophies. He is in a way the pin-up boy of all Stars' products."

The 32-year-old made his debut for Stars in 2005 against Golden Arrows and scored his first goal against Orlando Pirates. He moved to Chiefs in 2007 where he still features today.

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