Ashley du Preez will be leaving Stellenbosch FC to join Chiefs. Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix
Emotional Ashley du Preez on Chiefs move: I feel happy and sad!
Ashley du Preez believes he can bring something to Chiefs that other playmakers in the league ‘don’t have’, and that’s pure pace.
Ashley du Preez will be leaving Stellenbosch FC to join Chiefs. Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix
Chiefs have already provided clear indications that they will be more aggressive in the next transfer window, with Stellenbosch FC captain Zitha Kwinika and skilful Ashley du Preez now officially set to make the move to Naturena.
Stellenbosch confirmed the news on social media on Monday. Both players are set to join Chiefs at Naturena as of the 1st of July.
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In an exclusive interview with Kickoff.com, Du Preez revealed why he opted to make the move.
“I feel happy and sad, but I am excited to take on this new chapter in my life and my career at Kaizer Chiefs. I am looking forward to it.
“I had an amazing time at Stellenbosch. I will miss the club, the players, the coaches, everything. What this club has done for me is amazing. They helped me so much and… It’s hard to get the words out to even talk about what this club has done for me.
“It was a hard, hard, hard, hard decision to make to leave Stellenbosch. I thought about it for a long time whether or not I wanted to leave or if should stay but if you want to go further in your career, and if you want to go abroad one day, these are the things you have to do.”
Du Preez added that one of the reasons behind joining Chiefs was to help the club win trophies against and to test himself in a different environment and at a big club.
“That’s the thing I want to bring to Chiefs – goals to help the team,” he concludes. “I always want to help the team, I did it for Stellenbosch and they did it for me, and this is what I want to do at Chiefs as well. I want to score and help other players get on the scoresheet.
“I’ve been watching Chiefs and I played against them twice. They have good strikers and strong strikers but I could see in the team that they lack players who run in behind the defence or get one-v-one with the goalkeeper.
“What they lack at the moment is pace players who can get in behind the defenders. The defenders in this league don’t have what I have, they don’t have that pace. All of that is what I can bring to help Chiefs win games.”
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Meanwhile, Kwinika was named as Stellenbosch’s Players Player and Footballer of the Season 2021-22, and shared his thoughts about now making the move across to Amakhosi.
“I’m grateful for Stellenbosch, especially Coach Steve Barker, Rob Benadie but importantly my teammates,” he said.
“They helped me become a better player, so I am quite grateful for the team, and everyone involved in the backroom staff. I also want to thank the supporters for the love they showed me.
“Even though I am looking forward to the new challenge that lies ahead of me I will always represent the Winelands wherever I go because they helped me to grow and become a better player, a better individual, and a better human being.”
Du Preez also shared a heartfelt message, which you can watch below:
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A rebuilding phase at Chiefs is well under way
It’s clear that Chiefs are looking to rebuild their squad to be more competitive next year, and after signing Siyethemba Sithebe from AmaZulu on a pre-contract, reports also suggest Chiefs are closing in on Yusuf Maart.
READ | KAIZER CHIEFS LATEST: HOW MANY OF THE 16 TARGETS COULD AMAKHOSI SIGN?
Meanwhile, following Amakhosi’s final match of the campaign against Swallows, newly-appointed head coach Arthur Zwane admitted that although Chiefs won’t get Peter Shalulile from Mamelodi Sundowns, he did make mention of two strikers that have been linked with Chiefs in Bienvenu Eva Nga of Chippa United and Victor Letsoalo of Royal AM.
“When you look at Victor, Victor is a very good player, there is no doubt about it,” Zwane told Thabiso Mosia on SAFMSportON.
“He’s been scoring goals left, right and centre, mostly from deadfall situations, from the spot.
“But when you look at him overall, he’s one player that has that tactical flexibility and he’s very good on the ball, he is a team player, he’s not selfish. If he doesn’t score, he also creates.
“It remains to be seen that we might have a player like him but at this moment unfortunately there are many other players that we’re looking at.”
