Celimpilo Ngema

Marumo Gallants attacking-midfielder Celimpilo Ngema has reportedly signed a pre-contract with KwaZulu-Natal side AmaZulu FC. Photo: Twitter/Archives

Gallants attacker laughs off Chiefs links

Chiefs may be exploring possible transfer targets, but Marumo Gallants attacker Celimpilo Ngema has refuted links to Amakhosi.

Celimpilo Ngema

Marumo Gallants attacking-midfielder Celimpilo Ngema has reportedly signed a pre-contract with KwaZulu-Natal side AmaZulu FC. Photo: Twitter/Archives

With the January transfer window looming large on the horizon, there are understandably plenty of talking points around certain players that could make big moves. As is so often the case, numerous players have been linked to Chiefs, which recently included Celimpilo Ngema, who has been a star for Marumo Gallants.

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However, Ngema emphatically told Isolezwe that there was no substance to the rumours.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I am a Marumo player. If something happens, I will hear from my management,” Ngema said.

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Meanwhile, although reports have suggested Chiefs youngster Njabulo Blom is heading closer to an exit from the club, a move to SuperSport has been ruled out.

There have been some apparent issues between Blom’s representatives and the Chiefs management, which has led to talk that he could end up leaving Naturena, it remains to be seen whether he could still end up securing a new and improved contract extension at Amakhosi.

According to a recent issue of Soccer Laduma, Blom had actually been offered to SuperSport United “in unofficial discussions… potentially as a free agent at the end of the season given that Amakhosi are unlikely to sell him”.

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However, SuperSport CEO Stan Matthews ruled this move out when talking to SABC Sport.

“Blom is a very good player, someone our coach [Gavin Hunt] knows well and respects highly. But he is a Chiefs player and a player on a wage bracket that, for us, isn’t in our range. It’s a non-starter,” the Matsatsantsa boss explained. Njabulo Blom is not an option to play for SuperSport United at all – there’s nothing more to discuss about it…

“He’s going to be a player that the big three are going to fight over, and we can’t go into that war – I can’t go into a gunfight with a pocket knife. We have a different model of recruiting and identifying players.”

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Recently, a further report appeared in the Sunday Times newspaper, which highlighted comments from Blom’s agent Rob Moore, who apparently accused Chiefs of offering “peanuts” for the 22-year-old as contract extensions hit a stumbling block.

A source with details of the developments told the Sunday Times that the various parties remain at odds.

“I can confirm that Blom’s contract has not been renewed. The problem is around the head coach and the sporting director (Kaizer Motaung Jr). There was an element of arrogance on their part in handling the matter,” said the insider.

Blom’s contract expires on June 30 next year, and he has been linked to SuperSport United or Mamelodi Sundowns. Any possible new clubs will know they could enter into a pre-contract with the youngster from January.

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Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Njabulo Blom still has his future in the air. Image: @kaizerchiefs / Twitter.