Chiefs

Chiefs are ‘back in business’ as they returned to training this week.

PICTURES: Chiefs players hit the ground running on return to training

Check out some of the latest images as Kaizer Chiefs players returned to training as pre-season training began in earnest.

Chiefs

Chiefs are ‘back in business’ as they returned to training this week.

With preparations for the 2022/23 season already in full swing, Chiefs have added five more players to the squad, with the arrival of Dillan SolomonsKamohelo Mahlatsi and Lehlogonolo George Matlou from Swallows FC, Siyethemba Sithebe from AmaZulu, and the official promotion of Mduduzi Shabalala from the Chiefs Reserve side set to bolster the Glamour Boys’ quest for glory.

The new season is set to start on Saturday, 6 August with the MTN8, while the DStv Premiership is set to kick off off on Friday, 12 August.

The GladAfrica Championship season will start the weekend thereafter on Saturday, August 20.

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Having already secured the services of Ashley Du Preez and Zitha Kwinika for the next three years earlier this month, Chiefs management and the technical team have been hard at work to try and acquire the right players to fit into the system that will hopefully bring DStv Premiership success in the coming season.

In addition, on Tuesday night it was confirmed that Kaizer Chiefs have signed Yusuf Maart on a three-year deal with a two-year option.

REVEALED: HOW MUCH CHIEFS SPENT TO SECURE MAART SIGNING

Many believe this has been Chiefs’ best ‘transfer window’ for quite some time, and there are talks that there could still be one or two more signings secured by Amakhosi before next season.

The team has also returned to training, with Chiefs sharing several images on their social media channels.

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Who could Amakhosi sign next?

There is no doubt that Chiefs are clearly making some ambitious moves in the transfer market in the off-season, and 25-year-old Thabo Cele – who currently plays for Polish side Radomiak Radom – is a target who continues to be linked with the club.

Cele has previously been spoken of as a sought-after recruit for Amakhosi, particularly when he was a free agent last year. However, he ended up making the move to Radomiak on a two-year deal in October 2021.

It was first reported by Soccer Laduma that Chiefs may have launched a €100 000 (±R1.68m) bid to try and lure him back to South Africa, although Polish journalist Szymon Janczyk reports that Radomiak are keen to retain the services of Cele, who remains part of coach Mariusz Lewandowski’s plans.

In signalling the intent of Chiefs, though, the latest report by the same publication states that a renewed offer of around R3.4-million could be tabled in order to try and tempt Cele to Naturena.

As is stands, though, it does seem unlikely that Chiefs will be able to lure him back to South Africa.

“Thabo is committed to having an excellent pre-season and starting strong for next season. We know that the market closes later but at the moment he is focused on Radomiak,” his European-based representative Hélio Martins told SABC Sport this week.

“There was interest from Kaizer Chiefs, a great club, but an understanding between the parties has not yet been possible.”

Meanwhile, Kobamelo Kodisang could also still quite possibly make a move to Kaizer Chiefs despite his overseas club triggering a two-year contract option.

There has been talk that Braga intend to loan Kodisang out to the lower division, which is not an appealing prospect for the former Bidvest Wits playmaker who moved to Braga three years ago.

“Braga have exercised their option on Kobamelo, that’s a further two seasons,” his agent Mike Makaab explained to SABC Sport. “They’ve informed us that their intention is to loan him out to a second division team, which we are not happy with – we are not going to accept nor does the player want to do that.”

FULL LIST: ALL THE PLAYERS CHIEFS, PIRATES HAVE RECRUITED!