Mkhanyiseli Siwahla became the Premier Soccer League’s youngest debutant goalscorer at 15 in 2004 as Ajax faced Dynamos in the ABSA Cup. Image: @Vusi_BlueBae / Twitter
“Kaizer Chiefs promised to make me the most paid player”
PSL’s youngest debutant Mkhanyiseli Siwahla says his boyhood club Kaizer Chiefs promised to make him the highest paid player in the league!
Mkhanyiseli Siwahla became the Premier Soccer League’s youngest debutant goalscorer at 15 in 2004 as Ajax faced Dynamos in the ABSA Cup. Image: @Vusi_BlueBae / Twitter
Kaizer Chiefs maybe struggling to sign some the best talents in the country now, but that wasn’t always the case.
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In the early 90’s and 2000s Chiefs established their reputation of being the Glamour Boys of South African football.
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That reputation would last up until at least, 2015 which is still the last time Chiefs won any silverware. It has been tough going since, as they have constantly lost out to rivals for the top talent in the country and continent. In recent years Mamelodi Sundowns have beaten them to the signings of Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule. Orlando Pirates have also been more active in getting certain targets of late.
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This decline from them seems to coincide with their unwillingness to spend the big bucks on transfer targets. That has not been a problem to both Sundowns and Pirates who have been successful than Amakhosi this decade. One player who was certainly one of the most promising during his heyday that slipped was Mkhanyiseli Siwahla.
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Siwahla was a fan favourite at Ajax Cape Town, having burst on to the scene as the youngest PSL debutant at 15. He recalls how he almost joined Chiefs in a blockbuster move.
Chiefs offered to make Siwahla highest paid player!
“I think it was not meant to be, And during that time I was getting calls from left, right, and center. Orlando Pirates, Chiefs, and Mamelodi Sundowns. At Chiefs they first phoned Muhsin and later Bobby Motaung called me directly. Kaizer Motaung spoke directly with coach Muhsin, while Bobsteak phoned me. Bobby promised to make me the highest-paid player in South Africa. He told me it was coming from the chairman. So that’s how I chose Kaizer Chiefs.” Said Siwahla according to KickOff.
Deal eventually fell through
Siwahla then explains how the move eventually fell through.
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“I didn’t even ask Bobsteak how much it was going to be my salary. I was just excited about going to the Chiefs. But Muhsin apologised to me after we beat Mamelodi Sundowns in the Snal of the Absa Cup I was supposed to go to Chiefs, but Muhsin promised me he’d go there Srst, then once in Naturena he would come and get me. But once Muhsin arrived in Jozi he went for Mandla Masango and forgot about me. That ruined everything. imagine if Chiefs had signed both of us at the same time? Opposition defenders wouldn’t rest. South Africa was going to come to a standstill.” He explained.
Left hurt
Siwahla then admits he was hurt by the Chiefs snub.
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“Seeing the movie fail, I was very upset I must say because that was my childhood dream. Muhsin apologised to me but the damage was already done. He admitted his mistake. He told me he regrets choosing Masango over me.” He concluded.
