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Seven Amakhosi players to be booted out as club strives to return to winning ...
BACK AT CHIEFS: Patrick Mabedi, former Chiefs player and recently the head coach of Cape Town All Stars, will assist Amakhosi coach Steve Komphela in the new season.
KAIZER CHIEFS will have yet another massive clearance of players following a forgetful season that yielded no silverware.
Amakhosi, who finished without a trophy for the second year running, and ended in an unsatisfactory fourth position in the Absa Premiership table in the recently completed season, will part ways with seven players, as well as make a switch in their technical department.
There was a similar purge, albeit it at a bigger scale, last season as Chiefs let go of no less than 20 players – although most of them were not regulars – in the hope of turning their fortunes around. It was all in vain though but the club is hopeful the latest changes will bear the desired results.
The club’s football manager Bobby Motaung said yesterday that the club is intent on stopping the rot and returning Amakhosi to their rightful standing as one of the country’s top sides by winning silverware on a regular basis.
“We have decided to revamp the squad early so that when we commence pre-season training, we prepare ourselves adequately for the tough season ahead,” Motaung said
“We owe it to our supporters to ensure that the events of the past two seasons are not repeated in the 2017/18 campaign.”
All of defender Siyanda Xulu – who joined amid much fan fare from Russia two seasons ago – as well as midfielder Lucky Baloyi, Togolese striker Camaldine Abraw and Lewisi Macha of Zimbabwe, will have their contracts terminated by mutual consent following meetings between the club and the players’ representatives.
Midfielder Enocent Mkhabela, who was on loan to Platinum Stars mid-season, will be given the chance to make his deal with Dikwena a permanent one. Striker Siphelele Mthembu, once touted as a potential superstar, will be given a free clearance, while Zimbabwean Michelle Kats- vairo will be loaned out for a season. Chiefs will assess the Zimbabwean striker thereafter before deciding on what move to make regarding his contract.
“These players have contracts with the club but they did not enjoy sufficient game-time during last season and we felt it would be in their best interests, as well as ours, for them to pursue their careers elsewhere,” Motaung said.
“We will be making announcements in due course with regards to the new players that we will welcome into the Kaizer Chiefs family.”
Amakhosi also made a change to their technical team, with former captain Patrick Mabedi returning to the club to take over as assistant coach. The Malawian replaces former Ghanaian international John Paintsil as coach Steve Komphela’s second in charge.
He is the third man to occupy the assistant coach role with another former Chiefs star, Doctor Khumalo, having worked with Komphela in the previous season.
“I am happy to be back home,” said Mabedi. “I look forward to making a contribution to the success of this great institution. This is a privilege. I wish to thank the club management for this opportunity.”
The 43-year-old Mabedi played for Chiefs from 1998 to 2006 and enjoyed a trophy-laden career that delivered back-to-back championships as well as the Caf Cup Winners Cup, known then as the Mandela Cup.