SuperSport CEO: Chiefs came after two of my players!

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

However, he will only head to Naturena after this season, meaning the only new acquisition in January was DRC striker Christian Saile Basomboli, who joined the club from Zambia Super League side Nchanga Rangers.

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Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has revealed that the relative inactivity in the transfer window was not for lack of ambition, and for quite some time last year, the club had been linked with real interest in also recruiting SuperSport United defender Luke Fleurs.

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Chiefs will welcome their one SuperSport recruit after this season

In the end, SuperSport managed to retain the services of Fleurs, although CEO Stan Matthews has said there was nothing they could do to prevent Ditlhokwe signing the pre-contract with Chiefs.

“On the TT issue and the Chiefs issue, number one: he’s the first player we’ve lost on a free in my 23 years at the club,” he said on MSW as quoted by iDiski Times. “A little bit (blindsided), but not so much,” he added. “Chiefs came for both my centre-backs at the same time. Luke [Fleurs] was coming free, TT was coming free.

“Chiefs came for both of them. In one set of negotiations I could match the numbers and I could fight to keep the player, which was Luke. The other guy has a different agent, different ideas, different cell phone numbers and I couldn’t match those numbers.

“Unfortunately, the reality in football is that it’s a business and we have shareholders and we are accountable for what we spend.”

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