Kaizer Chiefs face the January transfer window needing to manage the squad with a few tough but necessary decisions to make.
One or two names need playing minutes elsewhere, either permanently or on loan. With Happy Mashiane and Samkelo Zwane out on loan, Amakhosi can only loan three more players to meet the Premier Soccer League rules.
ETHAN CHISLETT AND NKANYISO SHINGA
When Kaizer Chiefs announced Ethan Chislett in July, nobody imagined he would struggle as much as he has with the pace, physicality, and technical level of the league. Four months later, he has still not made his debut. The closest he came was sitting on the bench as an unused substitute against AmaZulu in October.
To make matters worse, fellow attacking midfield competitor Luke Baartman, who arrived a month after Chislett from Cape Town Spurs, has now overtaken the latter. Baartman finally made his debut against TS Galaxy last weekend, stepping into the role Chislett was specifically signed for. That technical team’s decision has effectively pushed Chislett into the group of four expected January exits.
Nkanyisa Shinga finds himself in a similar situation. The left-back, signed from Portuguese side FC Alverca, arrived with promise but has not kicked a competitive ball for Kaizer Chiefs. While Shinga waits, fellow left-back Paseka Mako has recovered from two injuries and already made nine appearances this season. Shinga has only featured in a pre-season friendly against Asante Kotoko and hasn’t made a matchday squad since.
For both Chislett and Shinga, loan moves remain the most sensible football and financial solution.
TWO MORE KAIZER CHIEFS EXITS?
Fiacre Ntwari
Signed with huge expectations from TS Galaxy, the Rwandan No.1 was tipped to own the Amakhosi gloves. Instead, five shaky outings pushed him behind Bruce Bvuma and Brandon Petersen.
Then came the moment that changed everything. In the Carling Knockout against Stellenbosch FC, Ntwari refused to be substituted before the penalty shootout. Kaizer Chiefs lost the game. He never played again. The club’s technical team had to stamp its authority after it was defied in front of 45,000 fans at the DHL Stadium, with millions more watching on television.
Rwanda coach Adel Amrouche has since urged the club to let him go if he isn’t part of the plans. With trust broken on both sides, a January exit feels almost certain.
TASHREEQ MORRIS
The arrival of Etiosa Ighodaro has shifted the picture of Kaizer Chiefs’ attack, and Tashreeq Morris has been affected the most. Ighodaro has done everything right: scored early, impressed the coaches, and fit the profile of a modern Amakhosi striker. Morris, meanwhile, is still searching for his first goal after 11 appearances.
His physical presence and link-up play are undeniable, but the technical demands at Naturena are brutal. Add Flavio Silva, a similar striker but more polished and already on four goals, and Morris suddenly finds himself fourth in the queue. A departure in January will not be a shocker.
