Harare — SOUTH African football legend and Kaizer Chiefs owner Kaizer Motaung has become the latest influential figure to back Zimbabwean teenage sensation Knowledge "Smiling Assassin" Musona to become a big hit in the game.

Kaizer Motaung rarely speaks about his team's players, often preferring to leave that task to members of the club's technical department, which includes his son and Amakhosi football manager Bobby.

This week the Kaizer Chiefs executive chairman broke with tradition and told the club's magazine that he believes that Musona has a "brighter future ahead of him".

According to kick-off.com, the web edition of South African soccer magazine Kick-Off, Kaizer Motaung, said despite earlier criticism that the Johannesburg glamour club received when they signed Musona at the start of the season, the striker had proved those critics wrong.

The 19-year-old forward, signed from Northern Region Division One outfit Aces Youth Academy, has been a revelation since making his Chiefs debut during the pre-season tournaments that include the annual Vodacom Challenge.

The Smiling Assassin', as Musona is affectionately known by the Chiefs faithful, has so far scored four goals in four starts in official games since the beginning of the season.

But he has also come on as a substitute on 13 occasions.

Musona arrived at Chiefs together with fellow Zimbabweans -- centre-back Thomas Sweswe lured from Dynamos and left-back Zhaimu Jambo who used to play for Gunners.

However, it is the major vote of confidence from the man they used to call "Tshintsha Guluva" during his playing days in South Africa and in the United States, that should help Musona silence his critics.

That the former national Under-17 captain burst into a big club like Kaizer Chiefs straight from a Division One club and without playing a game in the Premiership also highlights the qualities in the player.

Motaung said early signs are that Musona is a "real find' for the Glamour Boys.

"The young Zimbabwean is a real find. I remember that our football manager Bobby Motaung got a bit of stick early in the season for signing Musona with people questioning if the striker was Chiefs material," said Kaizer.

"However, the 19-year-old is now proving that he has a great potential -- the boy has a bright future."

Musona, who used to drive the Aces Youth Academy attack before his move to the South African Premiership, has also won the praise of former CAPS United and Warriors forward Alois Bunjira who has likened him to Cameroon and Inter-Milan star striker Samuel Eto'o.

Bunjira, who said Musona's predatory instincts had charmed him, believes that with proper guidance the youth international was destined for bigger things.

"His finishing is sublime. His runs off the ball always remind me of Samuel Eto'o. He is a sniper par excellence. With the right attitude and guidance we may have another export to Europe sooner rather than later," Bunjira was quoted as saying by a South African football website Football365.co.za

Musona will once again be under the spotlight when Chiefs continue with the Premiership campaign with a date against Santos in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Chiefs insist they are still in the race for the championship despite falling eight points behind leaders SuperSport United and their veteran Zimbabwean midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha yesterday warned that those ruling them out of the race will do so at their own peril.

Nengomasha said Chiefs, who had a slow start to the season, had been preparing hard for their clash against third-placed Santos and believes Amakhosi are now ready to challenge for the title.

"We are eight points behind SuperSport, but the last two games have in a way boosted us.

We did well in getting a draw away to Mpumalanga Black Aces, though we were 3-1 down at some stage and going away again to Free State Stars and bringing home all the three points.

"You can never rule Chiefs out. We are one of the biggest teams in Africa and we must always challenge for the league. We are going to give 200 percent," Nengomasha said.

The 27-year-old Warriors midfielder believes SuperSport, seeking a third successive championship, will falter at some stage, allowing the title chasers to knock them off the summit of the log.

"They haven't had their bad spell yet, which every team goes through every season.

When they do, it could be the turning point in the race for the title," Nengomasha said. Mamelodi Sundowns striker Katlego Mphela, however, disagreed with Nengomasha and said the Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Chiefs were out of the reckoning for the title. "I think it is now a race between Sundowns, SuperSport, Ajax and Santos," Mphela said.