Chiefs SuperSport

Thatayaone Ditlhokwe of Supersport United will only be heading to Chiefs after this season. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.

SuperSport boss opens up on Ditlhokwe exit to Chiefs

SuperSport CEO Stan Matthews has revealed why they couldn’t stand in the way of Thatayaone Ditlhokwe joining Chiefs.

Chiefs SuperSport

Thatayaone Ditlhokwe of Supersport United will only be heading to Chiefs after this season. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.

*This is an updated article on Ditlhokwe’s move to Chiefs

In the second of two big announcements last month, Chiefs confirmed the signing of a pre-contract in securing the acquisition of left-sided centre-back, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, from SuperSport United.

The highly rated international who captains Botswana’s national team has penned a four-year contract and will arrive to begin his life in Naturena in July 2023.

SuperSport have ruled out any possibility of releasing the defender during this window, particularly as they felt the timing of the announcement by Chiefs was premature and poorly timed just before their game against Sundowns on 16 January (which they lost 1-0).

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Ultimately, Stan Matthews said they could never have stood in the way of the long-serving player making the move.

“Loyalty means nothing anymore. There is no space for sentiment with players and agents. It’s about show me the money,” he said, as quoted by iDiski Times. “I can’t complain about a player leaving on a pre-contract when I’ve signed over 200 players on a pre-contract over the years. You live by the sword, you got to know that one day you get a sword.

“It doesn’t affect me in any way whatsoever. I’m tremendously happy for TT that he could go and make that kind of money at Kaizer Chiefs. Hats off to him. He deserves it, his family deserve it.

“As I’ve said all the time at SuperSport, when you get to a certain stage [in your career] that you’re too big for the club, your wages are too big, as long as you put in your effort, as long as you give a 1000%, you show your commitment, we’re happy for you to go on and achieve better things.

“And TT is going to be a son of the club, even in future. Now, he’s going to be on cover of magazines and he’s going to get all the limelight because he’s belonging to Kaizer Chiefs, he never got that SuperSport – wonderful for him.”

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Ditlhokwe is expected to make a big impact at Chiefs

SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt has also spoken briefly about his feeling on losing a player of such calibre.

“Obviously, I am very upset about ‘TT’ leaving because this should never happen. I wasn’t here, you know. But I know what should have happened and didn’t happen – you are losing a player that is 24 and he will only be at his best at 30 because he is a centre-back,” said Hunt during his post-match conference. “They (centre-backs) improve as they get older. He has improved immensely in this first round (of the season) since I’ve been here.”

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Chiefs’ latest striker signing was revealed last month. Photo: Twitter